According to a report by Axios, the Biden administration sent a private warning to Iran’s regime last month expressing serious concerns about Iranian research and development activities that could be used for the production of a nuclear weapon.
Three US and Israeli officials revealed that the US and Israel have detected suspicious nuclear activities by Iranian scientists in recent months, sparking fears that they could be part of a covert Iranian effort to make progress toward nuclear weaponization during the US presidential election period.
The US and Israeli intelligence communities, as well as senior policy officials from both countries, worked together to understand the Iranian activities and whether they constituted a change in policy by Iran regime’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
The US conveyed its nuclear concerns to the Iranians several weeks ago, both through a third country and direct channels. The Iranians responded with explanations for the activities, stressing that there has been no change in policy, and they are not working on a nuclear weapon.
While the exchange of messages and other information obtained by the US and Israel addressed some of the concerns and eased anxieties, US officials still have significant concerns about the Iranian regime nuclear program.
“We do not see indications that Iran is currently undertaking the key activities that would be necessary to produce a testable nuclear device,” a US official told Axios. “We take any nuclear escalation by Iran incredibly seriously. And, as the President has made clear, we are committed to never letting Iran obtain a nuclear weapon—and we are prepared to use all elements of national power to ensure that outcome.”
The concerns were sparked by intelligence obtained around March, which showed Iranian scientists engaging in computer modeling and metallurgical research that could be used for the development of nuclear weapons. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s former national security adviser, Yaakov Nagel, claimed that several dozen Iranian scientists have been working on technical processes necessary for the building of an atomic bomb under an academic umbrella.
Netanyahu was extremely concerned about the new information and asked the White House to convene the US-Israel Strategic Consultative Group (SCG) to discuss the state of the Iranian nuclear program. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room on Monday, marking the first high-level and in-depth discussion about the Iranian nuclear program since March 2023.
According to US and Israeli officials, both countries’ intelligence services do not believe there has been any top-down decision or order by Khamenei to move forward toward the production of a nuclear weapon. The parties agreed to strengthen coordination between the US and Israel on the Iranian nuclear program, especially ahead of the US presidential elections.
Source: Axios
