Iran Can Produce Four Atom Bombs – Israeli Intelligence

Forum Contacts RSS		RUSSIAN

RIA Novosti, PUBLISHED February 04, 2012

Iran has four tons of 20 percent enriched uranium, enough to make four crude nuclear bombs in a year, Israeli Military Intelligence head, Maj.Gen. Aviv Kochavi said on Thursday.

"Iran is vigorously pursing military nuclear capabilities and today the intelligence community agrees with Israel on that," he said. "Iran has over four tons of enriched materials and nearly 100 kilograms of 20-percent enriched uranium – that's enough for four bombs. It [nuclear bomb] will be done… within one year,” he added.

Speaking at the Herzliya Conference in Tel Aviv, Kochavi also said that while Iran states its nuclear program is peaceful, Israel has “conclusive evidence that they are after nuclear weapons."

Kochavi said the Iranian nuclear program, which has begun enriching uranium to 20 percent from which it can be further enriched into fissile warhead material, stems from several motives, including regional hegemony and deterrence.

On January 23, the EU voted to ban oil imports from Iran, after the Islamic Republic announced earlier this month that it had launched a nuclear enrichment program at a well-protected underground facility near the holy Shia city of Qom.

The embargo is set to come into force in July. Iran has responded by introducing an export ban on crude oil shipments to Europe, and also threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, the main export route for oil supplies from the Middle East.

The International Monetary Fund has warned that sanctions on Iran could push up oil prices 20-30 percent to $140 per barrel unless alternative supplies from developing countries come on line.

Topics: Asia, Iran

Other news:

IAEA Delegation Arrives in Iran to Discuss Nuclear Program

The IAEA delegation is led by Herman Nackaerts who is in charge of the Iran nuclear file.

Prokhorov Suggests Moving Skolkovo to Kaliningrad

In my view, the hi-tech hub should not be constructed in Moscow. I suggest moving Skolkovo to Kaliningrad.

Rosatom Managers Sacked, Fined over Corporate Party

According to the Dozhd TV channel, the corporation paid 12.5 million rubles (about $400,000) for the New Year’s bash.

Hero of the day

Iran views of its nuclear issue

It is difficult to say what will happen next, especially since the international community is split into two opposing camps on this issue. This article will analyze both of them, also taking into account the situation in Tehran.

INTERVIEW

Georgy Toshinsky
Not quite so. The authors of the concept, which was difficult to be realized in practice, turned to a clearer concept of a standing wave reactor (TP-1) that in principle allows finding the solution to the tasks stated for TWRs.

OPINION

Konstantin Bogdanov
The Yury Dolgoruky, the first Borei-class SSBN carrying Bulava missiles, is one step away from being put into service.