JERUSALEM — Iran will possess the technology to build a nuclear bomb by early 2010 and be able to produce one the following year, Israeli media quoted Israel’s defense minister as saying Monday.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak delivered his assessment before the Israeli parliament’s defense and foreign affairs committee. It broadly matches assessments from other nations including the U.S., which estimates that Tehran could produce a nuclear weapon between 2010 and 2015.
The Defense Ministry said it could not confirm the reports and a Barak spokesman wasn’t immediately available for comment. The radio and newspaper Web site reports did not identify the source of their information, but participants in the committee meetings routinely brief reporters on the proceedings.
Earlier this month, Israel’s military intelligence chief said Iran was close to an unspecified “technological breakthrough” that would enable it to build nuclear weapons. He did not elaborate on the breakthrough or say when exactly he expected Iran to have weapons-making capability.
Israel, like the West, disputes Tehran’s claims that its nuclear program is designed to produce energy, not bombs. It has lobbied for tough sanctions against Iran and has not ruled out a military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities.
“The international community must act,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a separate gathering of Israeli diplomats. “If sanctions aren’t imposed now, if true pressure isn’t applied now — then when will they do it?”
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Of course Iran COULD build a nuclear bomb if they wanted to along with many many other country’s but they have dropped all ambitions to do so in 2003 say’s our own nuclear officials. Israel along with the Israel run scumsuckers running the US of A are hell bent on destroying any country that won’t bow down to their wishes. Until the american citizens get fed up with the dual citizen (Israel first) scumsuckers running the USA we are doomed. DON’T elect any dual citizenship (Read Israel) person running for ANY office pertaining to gooberment. Am I the only one willing to speak up????????????????????????????????