Iran can produce nuclear bomb in 6 months: intel officer

BEIRUT, LEBANON (9:45 a.m.) – iran has become just a few months away from producing its first nuclear bomb, thanks to its relatively enriched uranium, an intelligence officer told the online publication, Elaph, on Thursday.

Elaph quoted the unnamed senior intelligence official as saying that Iran has 140 kg of uranium enriched by 4%, and it needs only 6 months to complete enrichment to more than 90%.

The intelligence source said Iran would be able to produce its first nuclear bomb, if it chose to, noting that success in that depends on the absence of errors or any interference with the nuclear program.

He continued: “Iran has resumed limited enrichment activity, and is in the process of obtaining another 140 kg of enriched uranium to produce a second bomb after the completion of the first production, by a decision that would come from the High Command.”

But Tehran has not taken its decision yet, especially in light of its economic problems and U.S. sanctions, which coincide with the pressures of the coronavirus outbreak that claimed the lives of several Iranians.

The newspaper said it obtained information, according to which, the recent bombings that affected “nuclear facilities and military sites in Iran” would disrupt this endeavor and impede the project for months and possibly years.

For its part, the Andishah Sazan Institute for Strategic Studies in Iran revealed, Thursday, the results of the ongoing investigations regarding the incident at the Nahtanz nuclear facility.

“The ongoing investigations into the Natanz facility incident confirm the absence of any air attack from outside the country and across the Iranian border,” said Saadallah Zaraei, head of the institute.

“The explosion occurred from inside the facility because of either a cyber attack or an act of sabotage,” Zaraei said, stressing that “the relevant authorities will surely announce the main cause of the explosion and its circumstances as soon as the investigations are completed.”

Regarding an Israeli role in the blast inside the Natanz facility, the Iranian official stressed that “the Israeli entity wants to fish in troubled waters and record for itself what it dreams to achieve.”