US general's warning on Iran alarms Israeli intelligence officials

Gen Mark Milley's warning last week that the US wouldn't allow Iran to have a "fielded nuclear weapon" alarmed Israeli defence and intelligence officials, reports Axios.

Specifically, the officials were concerned about the word "fielded", which they thought meant the US changed its policy on Iran and would allow Tehran to develop a nuclear weapons program.

They also questioned Milley's assessment of the time it would take Iran to produce a nuclear weapon. The Axios report said the officials protested and asked the Biden administration for clarification on what Milley meant.

The Biden administration recently discussed with its European and Israeli partners an interim agreement with Iran that would include some sanctions relief if Tehran froze parts of its nuclear program, an approach that shows how concerned the US is about recent advances in Iran's nuclear program.

Iran has amassed 87.5 kilograms of 60 per cent enriched uranium, according to an International Atomic Energy Agency report from late February.

Iran's 2015 nuclear deal limited Tehran's uranium stockpile to 300 kilograms (661 pounds) and enrichment to 3.67 per cent — enough to fuel a nuclear power plant. The US unilateral withdrawal from the accord in 2018 set in motion a series of attacks and escalations by Tehran over its program.

Iran has been producing uranium enriched to 60 per cent purity — a level for which nonproliferation experts already say Tehran has no civilian use. The IAEA report put Iran's uranium stockpile as of Feb. 12 at some 3,760 kilogram (8,289 pounds) — an increase of 87.1 kilograms (192 pounds) since its last quarterly report in November. Of that, 87.5 kilograms (192 pounds) is enriched up to 60 per cent purity.

Uranium at nearly 84 per cent is almost at weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent — meaning any stockpile of that material could be quickly used to produce an atomic bomb if Iran chooses.