U.S., Israel Divide Over Iran Nuclear Weapon Progress
(MENAFN) The United States and Israel are sharply at odds regarding how close Iran is to developing a nuclear weapon, with US intelligence assessments suggesting Tehran remains years away, while Israeli leaders warn of an immediate danger, according to press reports on Monday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asserted that Iran is rapidly advancing toward nuclear weaponization, a claim that has justified a wave of Israeli strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure, media reported.
In contrast, four sources familiar with the intelligence told the media outlet that US agencies do not believe Iran is currently building a nuclear bomb. According to their assessments, Tehran would require at least two to three years to develop and deploy such a weapon.
Recent Israeli airstrikes have inflicted damage on nuclear sites like Natanz, but the heavily fortified Fordow enrichment facility remains untouched.
This divergence in threat evaluations has created a complex challenge for the Trump administration, which is striving to balance efforts to avoid further escalation with preparations for possible Iranian retaliation.
Regional tensions have sharply increased since Friday, when Israel conducted airstrikes on multiple Iranian military and nuclear sites. Iran responded with retaliatory missile attacks.
Israeli officials report that at least 24 people have died and hundreds more have been wounded in Iranian missile strikes since the conflict escalated.
Meanwhile, Iran claims the Israeli assaults have resulted in at least 224 deaths and over 1,000 injuries.
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