Experts Dispute White House Claim That Tehran Is Near Building a Nuclear Weapon

Tehran - BORNA - According to a report by the The Wall Street Journal, recent statements by the White House suggesting that Iran is nearing the capability to produce weapons-grade nuclear material are being challenged by experts and informed diplomats.

The American newspaper notes that, according to specialists and diplomats familiar with the matter, Iran’s nuclear program has not advanced substantially since U.S. and Israeli strikes targeted three key nuclear facilities during the so-called 12-day war.

The assessment—widely accepted among nuclear officials and researchers—comes at a sensitive moment, as U.S. and Iranian officials hold a third round of negotiations in Geneva. The report emphasizes that there is no concrete evidence of major nuclear progress by Iran or of it moving closer to building a weapon, raising questions about the rationale behind the Trump administration’s assertions and the prospect of launching a broader war in West Asia.

David Albright, a former U.N. weapons inspector, told the newspaper that satellite imagery and monitoring of Iran’s nuclear sites show no signs that Tehran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program.

In contrast, Steve Witkoff, the senior U.S. negotiator with Iran, claimed in an interview with Fox News that Iran is “probably only a week away from having the industrial material necessary to build a bomb.” The newspaper notes that such an assessment would imply that a significant portion of Iran’s enrichment capacity survived last year’s attacks and that Iran still has access to its stockpile of enriched uranium. However, many analysts cited in the report express skepticism about Tehran’s ability to quickly resume large-scale activities at the bombed sites.

Previously, the White House had asserted that Iran’s nuclear facilities were “completely destroyed” during the 12-day conflict.

The report also points to the absence of regular United Nations inspections as a factor contributing to uncertainty about the precise scope of Iran’s nuclear activities. Nevertheless, Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, stated in October that there were no indications Iran had resumed enrichment following the U.S. strikes.

Grossi further said the agency has a “strong assessment” that Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpiles remain buried at the bombed sites. Robert Einhorn, a former senior U.S. State Department official for nonproliferation, added that there is effectively a “de facto suspension of enrichment,” and that no enrichment activities are currently taking place.

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