![]() | This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: the fall of the Assad regime and the outcome of the 2024 Iran-Israel conflict. (December 2024) |
Military action against Iran is often deemed a controversial topic. Proponents of a strike against Iran point to the threat presented by Iran's nuclear program as a casus belli. Many Israelis, and particularly hardline politicians such as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, American neoconservatives, Iranian dissidents (monarchists, Mojahedin-e-Khalq, separatists) support military action to stop Iran's nuclear program or overthrow the regime in Iran.
Kelsey Davenport, the Director of Nonproliferation Policy at the Washington-based Arms Control Association is the biggest American restraint against Netanyahu and/or NATO's rulers launching and in May 2023, she warned that "a nightmare scenario" is occurring.[1] President Biden asked the Ayatollah to repatriate 3 of his hostages to the U.S. and offered to unfreeze $17 billion in exchange for a verbal promise not to enrich his uranium to 90%.[2] So far, as usual, the Ayatollah has declined to agree.[3]
In 2021, Iran enriched kilograms of U235 to 20% purity[4][5] and then to 60% purity.[6] As of 13 May 2023, Iran had 114.1 kg of 60% HEU and 470.9 kg of 20% HEU and was enriching 20% at a rate of 0.406 kg/day.[7] The Institute for Science wrote that "With a monthly average production rate of 9 kg (U mass) per month, Iran could amass enough 60 percent HEU for three nuclear weapons by mid-June."[8] Some people expect that the enrichment of uranium enrichment will continue all the way to 90%, weapons grade uranium.[9] Iran has warheads with conventional detonators in abundance.[10] The scheduled completion date for Iranian warheads that have functioning nuclear detonators is vague and not publicly known with certainty.[11][12] The world is waiting for the orders from the Ayatollah[13] to enrich to 90% a Significant Quantity (SQ) or more of uranium hexafluoride gas and then to convert the hex(afluoride) to metal at either the Fuel Plate Fabrication Plant (FPFP) or the Uranium Conversion Facility (UCF) in the city of Isfahan/Esfahan. The Prime Minister of Israel has repeatedly warned that he will be forced to destroy Iran's underground nuclear facilities.[14] Israel's high yield nuclear missiles haven't been tested as to their kilotons of yield.[15] In a war situation, it is anticipated that Hizbollah will attempt to launch tens of thousands of rockets from Lebanon against Israel and that Israel will annex Lebanon and make a peace announcement.[16][17][18][19] The main issue is the danger of an eventual, post-peace announcement counterstrike[20][21][22][23] and then a few months afterwards, the POTUS' outlook toward economic suffering in the cities in Iran[24] and Damascus,[25] vis-à-vis the President of Russia's outlook toward Tbilisi.[26]
• 470.9 kg of uranium enriched up to 20% U-235 (+36.2 kg); and
• 114.1 kg of uranium enriched up to 60% U-235 (+26.6 kg).
Iran would likely soon carry out at least a symbolic enrichment of uranium to the 90% weaponized level, Haliva said, adding that the world will be tested as never before.
The diversity of warheads reflects the diversity of missions assigned to Tehran's various missiles, as well as Iran's progress in design and engineering.
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They also noted that it was unusual to stage a test at night and that the measured yield, 1.5 to 2 kilotons, was probably lower than the yield anticipated by the designers.
Iran has armed Hezbollah with more than 100,000 missiles that can cover the entire territory of Israel. It is clear to everyone that someone will use the missiles in this extensive arsenal[.]
It is clear that the only way Hezbollah will launch a comprehensive war against Israel is by order of Tehran, in accordance with its strategic needs, especially in the context of its nuclear project. [...] Dr. Ely Karmon is Senior Research Scholar at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) at The Interdisciplinary Center (IDC), Herzliya
Iran continues to serve as the group's prime funder, providing it with what the State Department estimates to be as much as $700 million annually.
In a rare display of emotion from the typically reserved and measured supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cried openly Monday at the funeral of slain Gen. Qassem Soleimani, his most important military commander with whom he shared a deep bond.