A recent intelligence discovery about Iran’s nuclear program has prompted an urgent meeting between U.S. and Israeli officials. According to Axios, new data reveals that Iranian scientists are using computer models that could be applied to nuclear weapon development.
The discovery adds to growing concerns as Iran continues to stockpile enriched uranium and deploy more advanced centrifuges, actions that many attribute to President Joe Biden’s perceived weak foreign policy stance.
The intelligence related to Iran’s use of computer modeling has sparked “suspicion” and “concern” that the country might be moving toward nuclear arms production. Both the U.S. and Israel have pledged to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Israeli officials underscored the heightened seriousness with which they now approach all evidence of threats, especially following the intelligence failure that contributed to the October 7 massacre. Last year, Israel reported finding evidence suggesting that Iran was attempting to obtain components necessary for building a nuclear warhead.
Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, warned that this new intelligence could shift the U.S. perspective on Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Goldberg, who has experience in the Trump administration dealing with Iranian WMDs, pointed out that U.S. intelligence had not previously seen active weaponization efforts from Iran.
“If true, this would upend that assessment and suggest Iran has a shorter runway to a bomb than previously reported,” Goldberg explained.
