The News
Recent blows to Iran’s power in the Middle East may be leading it to accelerate efforts to develop a nuclear bomb, US intelligence suggested.
Iranian scientists are thought to be exploring a faster, cruder route to an atomic bomb to deter a possible US or Israeli attack, according to The New York Times. Intelligence officials stated that the timeline for Tehram to produce an atomic bomb could drop from a year or more to a matter of months.
In the last year, Tehran’s regional proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, have been severely weakened following wars with Israel in Lebanon and Gaza. Israeli strikes have damaged the country’s nuclear facilities and President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash in July, collectively weakening the country’s clout in the region.
Iran’s new president Masoud Pezeshkian is seeking talks with US President Donald Trump, and the leadership has not yet decided to develop a weapon, The Times reported.