By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
TEHRAN/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) -— Iran appeared closer to a nuclear confrontation with Israel after a well-informed Iranian official said the Islamic Republic has everything it needs for a nuclear bomb.
Ali-Akbar Salehi, the former head of Iran’s nuclear agency, revealed that his nation “crossed all the thresholds of nuclear science and technology.”
In an interview aired by the Iran International broadcaster, said Salehi all parts are available to assemble a nuclear weapon.
“Here’s an example: Imagine what a car needs; it needs a chassis, an engine, a steering wheel, a gearbox,” Salehi explained in comments monitored by Worthy News. “You’re asking if we’ve made the gearbox; I say yes. Have we made the engine? Yes, but each one serves its own purpose.”
Tehran insists that its nuclear program is peaceful, but critics say Iran has sped up its uranium enrichment to levels that serve no purpose other than building atomic weapons.
“Iranian braggadocio about their nuclear program is reaching new and unprecedented levels,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
NUCLEAR WEAPON
“Iran’s former atomic energy chief is essentially hinting that Tehran has all the pieces of a nuclear weapon in place but disassembled,” Taleblu stressed.
“This commentary should be raising red flags for anyone who thought diversion of fissile material was the only thing that needed to be prevented and accounted for with international monitoring.”
The remarks published Thursday came shortly after Iran test-fired missiles in drills aimed at attacking Israel.
Iran claims its missiles are capable of striking deep into Israel as they are capable of traveling more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers).
Israel’s government has made it clear it won’t allow Iran to have nuclear weapons as Tehran has pledged to destroy the Jewish nation.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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