Israel's Intelligence Minister: Claims Iran Wants To Produce 30 Nuclear Weapons A Year

Iran Eyes 30 Nuclear Bombs A Year: Israel Minister -- France 24/AFP

AFP - Iran is working round the clock to enlarge its nuclear infrastructure with the eventual aim of developing an industry capable of building up to 30 bombs a year, an Israeli minister charged on Monday.

Speaking to reporters in Jerusalem, Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz said Tehran was "very close" to crossing the red line laid out by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last year.

But he said it was biding its time and building uranium-enrichment facilities before making the final push for weapons-grade material.

Read more ....

More News On Israeli Reports That Iran Is Building A Nuclear Arsenal

30 Bombs could be Produced in a Year -- Israel Defense
Israeli Minister: Iran Plans 'Nuclear Arsenal' -- CBN News
Iran’s building a nuke arsenal -- New York Post
Could Iran become a nuclear superpower? -- Lee DeCovnick, American Thinker

President Obama: Iran Is One Year Away From Developing A Nuclear Weapon

Channel 2 anchorwoman Yonit Levy interviewing U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington on March 12. Photo by Facebook page of U.S. Ambassador Dan Shapiro

Iran Nuclear Weapon Over A Year Away, Says Obama -- BBC

US President Barack Obama has told an Israeli television channel it would take Iran "over a year or so" to develop a nuclear weapon.

In an interview with Channel 2 he said he did not want to "cut it too close" and declined to rule out the possibility of military action.

Iran's nuclear programme is expected to be high on the agenda when Mr Obama visits Israel later this month.

Tehran insists it is refining uranium only for peaceful energy purposes.

But Israel has repeatedly threatened a military strike if Iran appears to be on the verge of obtaining a bomb.

Washington is pushing for more time to allow diplomacy and economic sanctions to run their course.

Read more ....

More News On President Obama's Statement That Iran Is A Year Away From Developing A Nuclear Weapon

Obama says Iran more than a year away from nuclear weapon -- Reuters
Obama: Iran more than a year from developing nuclear weapon -- CNN
Obama says Iran is ‘over a year or so’ away from developing a nuclear weapon -- New York Daily News/AP
'Over year or so' for Iran to get the bomb: Obama -- Global Post/AFP
Obama Says Iran More Than a Year Away From Nuclear Weapon -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Obama: Iran 'year or so' away from nuclear bomb -- Jerusalem Post
Pres. Obama: Iran still a year or so away from obtaining nuclear weapon -- Haaretz
Obama Sets Timeline on Iran Nuclear Bomb -- Wall Street Journal
Obama to Israeli TV: Iran’s a “year or so” away from having a bomb -- Hot Air

U.S. Secretary Of State Kerry Concedes That Iran Is Close To Possessing ANuclear Bomb

John Kerry Concedes Iran Is Moving Closer to Possessing Nuclear Weapon -- ABC News

At the end of his first overseas trip as Secretary of State, John Kerry acknowledged that despite the continued diplomacy and tough sanctions being leveled against Iran, the regime continues to get closer to possessing a nuclear weapon.

"Lines have been drawn before and they've been passed," Kerry said. "That's why the president has been so definitive this time. This is a very challenging moment with great risks and stakes for everybody because the region will be far less stable and far more threatened if Iran were to have a nuclear weapon."

Kerry sat down with ABC News' Martha Raddatz in Qatar as his first overseas trip as President Obama's secretary of state wound down.

Read more ....

More News On U.S. Secretary Of State Kerry's Comments On Iran's Nuclear Program

Iran "running the clock" on nuclear talks, Kerry says -- CBS
Kerry says Iran closer to nuclear weapons -- UPI
Kerry sees "finite" time for Iran nuclear talks to bear fruit -- Reuters
John Kerry Says Iran Is Moving Closer To Acquiring Nuclear Weapon -- RTT
Kerry: Obama will not let Iran cross red line -- YNet News
Kerry: Iran Closer to Possessing Nuclear Weapon -- Newsmax
Kerry warns of 'nuclear arms race' if Iran gets the bomb (VIDEO) -- Global Post

Does Iran Have A Plan B To Develop A Nuclear Weapon?

Iran's 'Plan B' For A Nuclear Bomb -- The Telegraph

Iran is developing a second path to a nuclear weapons capability by operating a plant that could produce plutonium, satellite images show for the first time.

The Telegraph can disclose details of activity at a heavily-guarded Iranian facility from which international inspectors have been barred for 18 months.

The images, taken earlier this month, show that Iran has activated the Arak heavy-water production plant.

Heavy water is needed to operate a nuclear reactor that can produce plutonium, which could then be used to make a bomb.

The images show signs of activity at the Arak plant, including a cloud of steam that indicates heavy-water production.

Read more ....

Update #1: Iran satellite images raise nuclear fears -- World News Australia
Update #2: Iran exploring second route to nuclear bomb: report -- AFP

My Comment: The major powers met with Iran today over it's nuclear program. A proposal was given to Iran .... I guess this is their answer.

Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei: Iran Is Not Seeking Nuclear Weapons

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at NAM Summit. Photo: REUTERS

Khamenei: Iran Not Seeking Nuclear Weapons, But.... -- Voice of America

Iran's supreme leader says his country is not seeking nuclear weapons, but if it wanted to, no country could stop it from doing so.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in all state matters in Iran, said Saturday that Iran supports the elimination of nuclear weapons.

Khamenei said in comments posted on his website that, "We believe that nuclear weapons must be eliminated. We don't want atomic weapons." But he went on to say that if Iran intended to have such weapons, no country could stand in its way.

Read more ....

More News On Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei Stating That Iran Will Not Develop Nuclear Weapons

Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei denies wanting to develop nuclear weapons -- The Guardian
Top Iranian leader says US could not stop Iran from having nuclear arms if it wanted them -- Washington Post/AP
Iranian leader: Iran not seeking nuclear weapons -- AP
Khamenei: Iran not seeking a nuclear weapon -- Jerusalem Post/Reuters
Iran has no intention to develop nuclear weapon – Supreme Leader -- RT
Iran has "no intention to build nuclear weapons": supreme leader -- Xinhuanet
Supreme Leader Reiterates Iran's Opposition to N. Weapons -- FARS News Agency

My Comment: I always liked former President Reagan's view towards nuclear weapons .... "trust but verify". I will trust the Iranians when they permit UN inspectors in .... but until that day (if it ever comes) .... when it comes to Iran's nuclear program I will not trust what the Supreme Leader is saying.

On a side note .... this is why I have problems with trusting this Iranian leader.

Was This Week's North Korean Nuclear Test Also An Iranian One?

Why Iran Already Has The Bomb -- Lee Smith, Tablet

If North Korea has the bomb, as this week’s nuclear test indicated, then for all practical purposes, so does Iran

The White House and President Obama’s supporters insist that he’s making his first trip to Israel next month to assure the Jewish state that if push comes to shove with Iran, he’ll have Israel’s back. But North Korea’s nuclear test Tuesday morning could indicate that it’s already too late for that. If North Korea has the bomb, then for all practical purposes Iran does, too. If that’s so, then Obama’s policy of prevention has failed, and containment—a policy that the president has repeatedly said is not an option—is in fact all Washington has.

If this sounds hyperbolic, consider the history of extensive North Korean-Iranian cooperation on a host of military and defense issues, including ballistic missiles and nuclear development, that dates back to the 1980s. This cooperation includes North Korean sales of technology and arms, like the BM-25, a missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and reaching Western Europe; Iran’s Shahab 3 missile is based on North Korea’s Nodong-1 and is able to reach Israel. Iran has a contigent of Iranian weapons engineers and defense officials stationed in North Korea. Meantime, North Korean scientists visit Iran. And last fall, both countries signed a memorandum of understanding regarding scientific, academic, and technological issues.

Read more ....

My Comment: Iranian - North Korean relations have been close for years .... has this been translated into the exchange of technology .... specifically missile and nuclear technology .... that is a question that is probably keeping policy makers awake at night.

Update: Inspections? Iran May Already Have a Bomb -- Jonathan S. Tobin, Commentary

Former Chief Of Israeli Military Intelligence: Iran Could Have A Nuclear Bomb In 4-6 Months

Amos Yadlin, former director of military intelligence, Jan 2012. (photo credit: Gideon Markowicz/FLASH90)

Israeli Expert: Iran Could Have Bomb In 4-6 Months -- Time

(JERUSALEM) — A former chief of Israeli military intelligence says Iran could develop a nuclear weapon within the next four to six months.

Amos Yadlin says Iran already has all the necessary components needed to build a nuclear bomb. He says from the moment it decides to do so, it could complete the task between four to six months.

Yadlin made the assessment Monday at a news conference announcing the strategic outlook of Tel Aviv’s Institute of National Security Studies, which Yadlin heads.

Read more ....

More News On Rising Concerns Over Iran's Nuclear Bomb Program

Israeli security expert: Iran’s 6 months from a nuclear bomb -- Washington Times
Iran has 'all the ingredients necessary' to make a nuclear weapon -- The Telegraph
Iran could build nuclear bomb in 4-6 months, expert says -- Times of Israel
Yadlin: Nuclear bomb more dangerous than attacking Iran -- Jerusalem Post
Iran says it will speed up nuclear program -- Al Arabiya

My Comment: I guess Amos Yadlin does not accept this assessment .... but accepts this one.

Has Iran Stopped It's Nuclear Bomb Program?

Defense Minister Ehud Barak, right, meets with Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey in Tel Aviv on Sunday (photo credit: Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry/Flash90)

Iran Pulls Back From Nuclear Bomb Goal: Israeli Defense Minister -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Iran has drawn back from its ambitions to build a nuclear weapon, Israel's defense minister was quoted as saying on Tuesday, while warning that his country may still have to decide next year whether to launch a military strike against it.

Tehran denies its nuclear work has any military dimensions but governments in Europe and the United States are increasingly concerned over its intentions.

Diplomacy and successive rounds of economic sanctions have so far failed to end the decade-old row, raising fears of Israeli military action against its arch-enemy.

Read more ....

More News On Israel's Defense Chief Comments That Iran Has Drawn Back Plans To Build Nuclear Weapons

Israeli Defense Chief Says Iran Postponed Nuclear Ambitions -- New York Times
Defense Minister: Iran delayed nuclear program -- Jerusalem Post
Israeli official: Iran pulled back from the brink -- CBS
Iran temporarily put nuclear bomb ambitions on hold: Barak -- AFP
Barak: Iran used up some of its uranium this summer, pushing back ‘moment of truth’ 8 to 10 months -- Times of Israel
Iran steps back -- Telegraph editorial

United Nations IAEA: New Intelligence Reveals Major Push By Iran On It's Nuclear Weapons Program

World Powers Deeply Concerned About Iran Nuclear Push -- Times Live/Reuters

Six world powers are expected to voice 'serious concern' about Iran's uranium enrichment programme and to urge Tehran to provide the U.N. nuclear watchdog with access to the sites it needs for its investigation, diplomats said on Tuesday.

They said the powers - the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany - had agreed a draft text on Iran's nuclear programme at a meeting of the 35-nation governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna.

One diplomat said the text was expected to be put forward as a proposed IAEA board resolution, to be voted on later in the week. But it could also take the form of a statement by the six powers, the envoy added.

Read more ....

More News On New Intelligence Concerning Iran's Nuclear Program

AP Exclusive: New Intelligence on Iran Nuke Work -- New York Times/AP
Report of New Iranian Nuclear Work Backs Up Israel’s Claims -- Arutz Sheva
Iran furthering research on nuclear weapon, says IAEA report -- NOW Lebanon
Iran's Nuke Computer Modeling -- Daily Beast
IAEA demands immediate access to suspected Iranian nuclear weapons site -- Haaretz/Reuters
IAEA Urges Iran To Allow Immediate Access To Parchin Nuclear Facility -- RTT News
UN Watchdog Demands Access to Iranian Military Site -- Voice of America
UN atomic watchdog 'frustrated' by Iran -- The Australian
2012 Developments in Iran Nuclear Standoff -- Voice of America

New U.S. Intelligence Brings Worries Over Iran's Nuclear Program

(Credit: CBS)

Israel Defense Chief Suggests U.S. Has New Intelligence Bringing Worries Over Iran In Line With Israel's -- CBS

(CBS News) LONDON - Israel's defense chief suggested Thursday that the U.S. has new intelligence that changes the American assessment of the imminent danger represented by Iran's clandestine nuclear work, bringing its views closer to those held by the Jewish state.

An article published Thursday by the Haaretz newspaper said Defense Minister Ehud Barak had "confirmed" the paper's earlier report that Mr. Obama had received a new National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) "which shares Israel's view that Iran has made surprising, significant progress toward military nuclear capability."

Read more ....

More News On U.S. And Israeli Concerns On Iran's Nuclear Program

Iran's atomic project getting harder to assess - Barak -- Reuters
New US report on Iran nukes 'makes issue urgent' -- RT
US Intelligence Reported to Obama: Iran’s Nuclear Program Nearing Critical Phase -- Jewish Press
Obama gets new U.S. NIE: Iran making surprising progress toward nuclear capability -- Haaretz
Barak: New U.S. intelligence report raises urgency over Iran's nuclear program -- Haaretz
Could Israel Safely Deter a Nuclear Iran? -- Louis Renè Beres and General John T. Chain, The Atlantic

My Comment: The Israeli government and press are apoplectic over this new leaked U.S. intelligence assessment. The U.S. government and press .... little if any comment.

Update #1: Iran closing in on its goal: Nuclear weaponization -- Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post
Update #2: U.S. still believes Iran not on verge of nuclear weapon -- Reuters

MI6 Chief: Iran Two Years From Having An Atomic Bomb

British Spy Chief Says Iran Is Two Years From Nuclear Bomb -- Christian Science Monitor

Sir John Sawers, the head of MI6, said the British spy agency has tried unsuccessfully to thwart Iran's efforts to develop a nuclear weapon and warned that US and Israeli retaliation was likely.

In a rare public remark, the head of Britain’s spy agency said that British agents had stopped Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons as early as 2008. But despite the spy agency's efforts, the Islamic Republic is two years from getting an atomic arsenal, MI6 chief Sir John Sawers said.

If this happens, Israel and the US are likely to take, or seriously consider, military action against Iran, he added.

Read more ....

More News On Britain's 'Take' On Iran's Nuclear Program

We've thwarted Iran's nuke plans, says MI6... but Tehran is only 'two years away from a bomb' -- Daily Mail
British Spymaster Says Iran Is 2 Years From Nuclear Bomb Capability -- New York Times
Sir John Sawers, Britain spy chief: Iran only 2 years away from nuclear weapons -- report -- Global Post
MI6 chief Sir John Sawers: 'We foiled Iranian nuclear weapons bid' -- The Telegraph
UK says it foiled Iran nuke weapon drive -- Telegraph
MI6 'foiled' Iran nuclear-weapon drive -- AFP
MI6 exposes the truth about Iran's quest for nuclear weapons -- Con Coughlin, The Telegraph
MI6 'claims to have foiled Iran nuclear weapons bid' - report -- Julian Borger, The Guardian

Iran's Nuclear Bomb Intentions Coming To Light

A still-frame from the Haaretz news web site shows the alleged nuclear blast chamber at the Parchin military site. Images of Parchin itself are mostly classified (Image from http://www.haaretz.com)

Nuclear Infowar: New ‘Evidence’ Of Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions As Vienna Talks Approach -- RT

As Tehran finally makes efforts to rehabilitate its nuclear program with the West, a new piece of counter-evidence emerges: a CGI picture of an allegedly Iranian nuclear blast chamber. The timing is just right, with Vienna talks starting Monday.

­The image, which shows a white cylinder with a yellow pipe sticking out of it inside a hangar-like building, was provided to the Associated Press purportedly by an anonymous official from an IAEA country that tracks Iran’s nuclear program. The official noted that the picture was based on information from someone who had visited the Parchin military site suspected of harboring the chamber, but said giving further information would endanger the life of that person.

Read more ....

Update: Drawing may provide insight into Iran's nuclear intentions -- FOX News/AP

My Comment: Iran denies such claims. But as long as Iran prohibits UN nuclear inspectors from visiting .... one will have to assume the worst scenario.

Both Mossad And The CIA Agree That There Is Not Enough Evidence That Iran is Making A Nuclear Bomb

The military complex at Parchin, Iran, southeast of Tehran, in a 2004 satellite image. DigitalGlobe - Institute for Science and International Security, via Associated Press

U.S. Faces a Tricky Task in Assessment of Data on Iran -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — While American spy agencies have believed that the Iranians halted efforts to build a nuclear bomb back in 2003, the difficulty in assessing the government’s ambitions was evident two years ago, when what appeared to be alarming new intelligence emerged, according to current and former United States officials.

Intercepted communications of Iranian officials discussing their nuclear program raised concerns that the country’s leaders had decided to revive efforts to develop a weapon, intelligence officials said.

Read more ....

Update #1: Mossad, CIA Agree Iran Has Yet To Decide To Build Nuclear Weapon -- Haaretz
Update #2: Report: CIA, Mossad face 'tricky intel task' in Iran -- YNet News

My Comment: This lack of intelligence .... coupled with Iran's determined lack of transparency and past lies on their program ... must be giving fits within both Jerusalem and Washington. Is Iran pulling a Saddam Hussein ... exaggerating through innuendo a program that does not exist .... or is it true .... and that building underground and bomb-proof facilities is to protect an active and viable nuclear weapons program. My prediction is that the U.S. will hope that sanctions will succeed, and Iran will open the doors to outside inspectors. If Iran refuses to respond, my bet is that Israel will assume the worse .... and they will respond by preparing their military for operations against Iran.

In the meantime .... rhetoric like this does not help.

Meet The Man Who Will Be The Father For Iran's Nuclear Bomb

Photo: Fereydoon Abbasi

Survivor Of Attack Leads Nuclear Effort In Iran -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — Eight months after he narrowly survived an assassination attempt on the streets of Tehran, Fereydoon Abbasi, the nuclear physicist whom Iran’s mullahs have put in charge of the country’s Atomic Energy Organization, is presiding over what intelligence officials in several countries describe as an unexpected quickening of Iran’s production of nuclear material.

The selection of Dr. Abbasi earlier this year was itself a clear message to the West. As a university scientist, he was barred from traveling outside Iran by the United Nations Security Council because of evidence that his main focus was on how to build nuclear weapons, rather than power plants. But in recent weeks he has publicly declared that his country is preparing to triple its production of a type of nuclear fuel that moves it far closer to the ability to produce bomb-grade material in a hurry.

Read more ....

My Comment: For more info on who is Fereydoon Abbasi, go here.

Iran Is Racing Toward A Nuclear Bomb

All Signs Say Iran Is Racing Toward A Nuclear Bomb -- Haaretz

Iran's leadership is undaunted by the sanctions imposed on the country and seems unhindered by the damage the Stuxnet computer worm caused to the centrifuges at the uranium enrichment facility in Natanz.

VIENNA - The procession of cars carrying Fereidoun Abbasi Davani sped down Vienna's Wagramer Strasse this Monday and into the underground car park of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Outside the building, on the bank of the Danube River, some 30 protesters from the Stop the Bomb movement demonstrated, waving signs denouncing the Iranian nuclear scientist. But Iranian security officers seemed more concerned about the prospect of someone trying to exploit Abbasi Davani's controversial visit to finish the job.

Read more ....

My Comment: Reports of Iran's nuclear bomb program has been circulating around for years .... and I have been posting them for just as long. But this time I cannot help but sense that they are only a few steps away from enriching enough uranium to produce a bomb, and that within a year or two (or three) .... a nuclear test will occur that will tell the world that Iran now has a nuclear weapon in their arsenal.

Is Iran About To Test A Nuclear Bomb?

A view of what is believed to be a uranium-enrichment facility near Qom, Iran. Photograph: Digital Globe/Reuters

Iran To Test First Nuclear Bomb By 2012? -- Pajamas Media

Reports claim that Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered the testing program to proceed immediately.

According to sources in the Revolutionary Guards of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered them to proceed immediately with the completion of the Iranian atomic bomb project, including testing and arming of missiles with nuclear payload.

Ayatollah Khamenei’s decision is based on a belief by the Islamic regime’s strategists that both America and Israel lack the courage and the ability to dismantle the Iranian nuclear facilities. The Iranian regime believes that America and Israel fear Iran’s retaliation, and that it has had them frozen in place and confused as to what action to take next. They have concluded that this presents a great opportunity for the Iranian regime to become a nuclear-armed state without any interference from the outside.

Read more ....

More News On Iran's Nuclear Bomb Program

World Powers Fear Iran's Plan to Expand Nuclear Capability -- Voice of America
World powers concerned over Iran nuclear programme -- AFP
World Powers Voice Concern Over Iran's Nuclear Program -- Radio Free Europe
Iran Informed UN Atomic Watchdog of Enrichment Plan, IRNA Says -- Bloomberg
Iran informs IAEA of changing uranium enrichment sites -- Xinhuanet
Iran to increase uranium enrichment in bunker -- SF Chronicle/Washington Post
Iran to triple production of 20% enriched uranium -- Tehran Times (Iran)
Iran is not in breach of international law -- Richard Dalton, The Guardian

Will The U.S. Withdraw From Iraq And Afghanistan

HERO'S HANDSHAKE - U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan, left, congratulates Army Pfc. Kevin F. Nieves after awarding the young man a Bronze Star Medal for Valor on Camp Phoenix in Kabul, Afghanistan, June 4, 2011. Nieves is assigned to Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry Regiment, Massachusetts National Guard. Nieves also received the Purple Heart; the medals were for his actions defending Camp Phoenix from an attack April 2, 2011. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. James Lally

Will The US Really Withdraw From Iraq And Afghanistan? -- Simon Tisdall, The Guardian

Behind closed doors in the White House and the Pentagon, a battle is raging over the wisdom of a complete exit.

Retreating armies make easy targets, as the British learned to their cost when falling back from Kabul in 1842. Barack Obama, unlikely heir to bumbling General "Elphy Bey" Elphinstone, now faces two not dissimilar challenges: how to get US forces out of Afghanistan and Iraq with the minimum of bloodshed and the maximum of dispatch. Avoiding descent into post-withdrawal chaos would be an added bonus.

Read more ....

My Comment: With a close U.S. Presidential election predicted next year, I sincerely doubt that President Obama will not withdraw troops from Afghanistan .... let alone keeping soldiers in Iraq. American withdrawal from both Iraq and Afghanistan has become political .... and even though the Pentagon (and our allies in Iraq and Afghanistan) may want U.S. soldiers to remain, the political winds in Washington say otherwise .... and in the end that is the opinion that President Obama and Congress will listen to.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Are Now Openly Talking About The Impact That An Iranian Bomb Would Have

'The Day After Iran's First Nuclear Test Is A Normal Day' -- The Guardian

A bizarre article on a Revolutionary Guard website breaks a taboo by anticipating the impact of an Iranian bomb.

Any mention of an Iranian nuclear weapon is taboo in the Islamic Republic, which insists that its nuclear programme is entirely for peaceful, civil purposes. So it is remarkable, to say the least, that an article has appeared on the Gerdab website, run by Iran's Revolutionary Guards, anticipating the day after Iran's first test of a nuclear warhead. Here is a translation of the text:

Read more ....

My Comment: If true, this is a major change in public relations from Iran. It is almost as if they are preparing the public (both domestic and international) that Iran will soon have the bomb, and that we should start getting prepared for that day.

Iran's Nuclear Weapons Program Is Speeding Up

'Iran Could Produce A Nuclear Weapon Within Two Months' It Is Claimed As U.N. Atomic Watchdog Reveals Concerns -- The Daily Mail

* IAEA voicing growing concern about Iran nuclear work
* U.N. agency wants prompt access to sites and officials
* Iran denies military aims, rebuffs cooperation request

Iran is only a matter of months from being able to create a nuclear weapon, according to experts.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, 54, has long been pushing his country's nuclear capabilities, and at the current rate of uranium enrichment the first bomb could be eight weeks away.

Gregory S. Jones, from RAND, published a report this week explaining the severity of the situation and to confirm the fears expressed by a United Nations watchdog.

Read more ....

More News On Iran's Nuclear Weapons Program

New Data Hints at Iranian Nuke Efforts: Amano -- Global Security Newswire
Iran’s Recent Nuclear Work Raises New Concerns at UN Watchdog -- Bloomberg
New data suggests Iran military link - U.N. atom chief -- Reuters
Pressure builds over Iran nuclear activities -- Financial Times
Iran to answer new IAEA questions if alleged studies declared " closed": ambassador -- Xinhuanet
Jeremy Bernstein’s Nuclear Propaganda Fail. The New York Review of Books Gets It Wrong on Iran -- Nima Shirazi, Foreign Policy Journal
Iran Nukes in Two Months? -- Daniel Halper, Weekly Standard
Iran’s Nuclear Efforts Are Accelerating -- Heritage Foundation
Why the Arab Spring Has Failed to Thaw the Iran Nuclear Standoff -- Tony Karon, Time
Countdown Resumes on Iranian Nukes -- Jonathan S. Tobin, Commentary

Iran Defence Minister Forced To Leave Bolivia

Bolivia's President Evo Morales(L), Iran's Defense Minister General Ahmad Vahidi (R) and Bolivia's Defense Minister Maria Cecilia Chacon, center, at a military ceremony in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, on May 31, 2011. Press TV

Iran Defence Minister Forced To Leave Bolivia Over 1994 Argentina Bombing -- The Telegraph

Iran's defence minister was forced to leave Bolivia during a diplomatic trip after Argentina demanded his arrest in connection with the deadly 1994 bombing of a Jewish centre in Buenos Aires.

Ahmad Vahidi was invited to Bolivia by the country's Defence Ministry and attended a military ceremony in the city of Santa Cruz on Tuesday in the presence of Evo Morales, the Bolivian president.

He is on an Interpol wanted list over the bomb attack in the Argentine capital 17 years ago that killed 85 people and injured up to 300, making it the country's worst terrorist attack.

Read more ....

My Comment: Bolivia has apologized, but they still have not responded on why he was invited in the first place. Is it because of this?