Current Edition About Subscribe The Jerusalem Center

Daily Alert Archive

Every Daily Alert Since 2002

Search

Search more than 80,000 news items by topic, author, or source.
Use " " to search for multiple words and phrases.

Trending Topics

January 13, 2022       Share:    

Source: https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/01/10/iran-nuclear-weapon-breakout/

How Close Is Iran to Getting a Nuclear Weapon?

(Foreign Policy) Colum Lynch - To acquire a fully functioning nuclear weapons program, Iran must develop enough highly enriched, weapons-grade uranium to fuel one or more nuclear bombs; construct a nuclear warhead capable of housing the fissile nuclear fuel; and develop a ballistic missile system capable of delivering a nuclear explosive to its target. Finally, it needs to conduct a test to see if the explosive actually works. David Albright, founder of the Institute for Science and International Security, said that Iran has already acquired enough 20% and 60% uranium to produce at least 45 kg. of highly enriched uranium at 90% - enough weapons-grade fuel to produce a nuclear bomb. In several months, it could produce enough fuel for two more bombs. In six months, Iran may be in a position to test a nuclear explosive. Yet the Iranians would still need to develop a working nuclear warhead. In 2009, an internal IAEA assessment concluded that before 2003, Iran had accumulated "sufficient information to be able to design and produce a workable implosion nuclear device." The IAEA assessed "that Iran has yet achieved the means of integrating a nuclear payload into the Shahab 3 missile with any confidence that it would work. Nonetheless, with further effort it is likely that Iran will overcome problems."

View the full edition of Daily Alert

Back to Archive

Subscribe to Daily Alert: