Israel Matzav

Iran has enough low enriched uranium for five nuclear weapons

Continuing to pound the sanctions drumbeat, Prime Minister Netanyahu told the German newspaper Bild on Tuesday that Iran already has enough low enriched uranium for five nuclear weapons.

Netanyahu's comments came during an interview with Germany's Bild newspaper, published on Tuesday.  Government officials explained that this amount of uranium enriched at a lower level means that it would take relatively little effort – a matter of weeks – for the Islamic Republic to turn it into higher-grade uranium that would make up the fissile material needed for five nuclear bombs.

Netanyahu reiterated in the interview that Iran should be forced to dismantle its centrifuges and dismantle the plutonium rector being constructed at Arak.

"And if they refuse to do so, increase the sanctions," he said. "Because the options are not a bad deal or war. There is a third option: Keep the pressure up, in fact increase the pressure."

Netanyahu said he has made this argument to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country is one of the members of the P5+1 negotiating with Iran. Up until now, Germany has not been swayed by the arguments.

The negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 will continue on Wednesday, the same day that Netanyahu will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to argue against what he is saying at every opportunity is a "bad agreement."

 What could go wrong?

Labels: Binyamin Netanyahu, Iranian nuclear threat

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:31 PM