Iran ‘probably 1 or 2 weeks away’ from nuclear weapon breakout, says Blinken
Blinken speaking at the Foreign Affairs Ministerial Meeting of the Partnership for Economic Prosperity of the Americas in the Benjamin Franklin Room of the State Department in Washington, U.S., July 17, 2024. (AFP Photo)
Iran is likely just one or two weeks away from having the ability to produce enough weapons-grade material for a nuclear weapon rapidly, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday.
Iran’s nuclear timeline shortened
“Iran, because of the nuclear agreement was thrown out, instead of being at least a year away from having the breakout capacity of producing fissile material for a nuclear weapon, is now probably one or two weeks away from doing that,” Blinken stated at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado.
Although Iran has not yet produced a weapon, Blinken emphasized the situation is being monitored closely. “They haven’t produced a weapon itself, but that’s something, of course, that we track very carefully,” he added.
Diplomatic efforts to prevent nuclear weapon acquisition
The top U.S. diplomat reiterated that the United States’ policy focuses on preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Blinken underscored that the administration prefers to achieve this goal through diplomatic means.
“Our strong preference is to do this through diplomacy, but President Biden has also been clear that we will take other measures if necessary,” Blinken noted.
The U.S. administration continues to explore various diplomatic avenues to address the issue.
