Media: New US intelligence suggests Iran exploring faster path to nuclear weapon

Newly surfaced US intelligence data indicates that a covert group of Iranian scientists is pursuing an expedited, though less sophisticated, method to develop an atomic weapon if Tehran’s leadership opts to advance its nuclear ambitions.

The intelligence gathered during the final months of the Biden administration and shared with President Trump’s national security team during the transition of power, suggests that Iran's weapons engineers are investigating a shortcut, Caliber.Az reports, citing US media.

This approach could potentially allow Iran to convert its expanding stockpile of nuclear fuel into a functional weapon within months, rather than over a year, contingent upon a strategic decision from Tehran.

Despite these developments, Iran remains at the nuclear threshold. Since the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal under Trump’s previous term, Tehran has resumed uranium enrichment, amassing enough fissile material for four or more nuclear bombs. However, possessing sufficient nuclear fuel is not synonymous with having a deployable weapon. The new intelligence specifically focuses on the final technical stages required to weaponise the material.

This sensitive information is expected to feature prominently in discussions between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is set to become the first foreign leader to visit the White House since Trump's recent inauguration. Netanyahu has historically hovered on the brink of authorizing military strikes against Iran's nuclear sites but has refrained, often due to counsel from Israeli defence officials and diplomatic pressure from Washington.

By Khagan Isayev