Global Courant 2023-05-23 19:18:10
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JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli government’s national security adviser said Tuesday that a new nuclear facility being built by Iran will not be immune to attack, despite expert assessments that it will be out of range of last-ditch U.S. bunker-destroying bombs .
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Tzachi Hanegbi made the comments in response to an Associated Press report that said the new facility appears to be as much as 100 meters (328 feet) underground.
Hanegbi, speaking at a security conference near Tel Aviv, said he was not surprised by the report, noting that Iran has other underground facilities. While acknowledging that the location would complicate any potential military attack on the facility, he said solutions to the challenge remain.
“What can be said about this issue is that there is no place that cannot be reached,” he said.
He refused to say whether Israel was able to do this alone.
“We hope we don’t end up in a situation where the solution to Iran’s nuclear weapon story is a kinetic solution, a solution with an attack,” he said, adding that Israel prefers the international deadlock with Iran is resolved. through diplomatic channels.
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Israel views Iran as its worst enemy and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said he will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. He has said that international diplomacy must be accompanied by a serious military option and hinted that Israel would be prepared to attack Iran alone if necessary.
Photos and videos from Iran’s new facility from Planet Labs PBC show that Iran has dug tunnels near the Natanz nuclear site, which has been repeatedly sabotaged over the years. Excavation mounds at the site suggest the facility could be between 80 meters (260 feet) and 100 meters (328 feet) underground, according to experts and the AP’s analysis.
The Islamic Republic denies it is seeking nuclear weapons, though officials in Tehran are now openly discussing whether to pursue one.
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With Iran producing uranium close to weapons-grade levels after the collapse of its nuclear deal with world powers, the installation complicates the West’s efforts to prevent Iran from potentially developing a nuclear bomb as diplomacy over its nuclear program remains at a standstill come.
The construction comes five years after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the United States out of the nuclear deal. Since then, Iran has ramped up its uranium enrichment far beyond the limits of the accord. Experts believe it is only a small step to reach the 90% enrichment threshold of weapons-grade uranium.
Uranium enrichment is a key element in producing a nuclear bomb. Israeli experts believe Iran needs additional time, up to two years, to develop the means to deliver and detonate a nuclear warhead.
At the same conference, Israel’s military chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, said that Israel is closely monitoring Iran’s nuclear program and reiterated that the military is ready to take action.
“There may be negative developments on the horizon and that could lead to action,” he said. “We have capabilities. Others have abilities, and this is a very important and important matter.”
