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Behind Anti-Iran Rhetoric, Fears of Nuclear Gains
(Washington Post) Joby Warrick - A new spike in anti-Iran rhetoric and military threats by Western powers is being fueled by fears that Iran is edging closer to the nuclear "breakout" point, when it acquires all the skills and parts needed to quickly build an atomic bomb if it chooses to, Western diplomats and nuclear experts said Friday. A Western diplomat who has seen drafts of a UN report on Iran's nuclear activities to be released this week said it will elaborate on secret intelligence showing Iranian scientists struggling to overcome technical hurdles in designing and building nuclear warheads. Olli Heinonen, who retired last year as chief inspector for the IAEA, the UN's nuclear watchdog, said Iran's apparently successful deployment of advanced centrifuges in recent months could lead to a dramatic rise in the production of enriched uranium.