BICOM

“Iran is a global problem, a regional problem, and a problem for Israel… there is no doubt that Iran is working on developing a nuclear weapon,” IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz told the Herzliya Conference in his speech yesterday. Gantz added that the world needed to develop a credible military option to stop Iran’s nuclear programme, warning that if Iran chooses it could develop a nuclear weapon within a year. “Iran wants to solidify its regime by creating a nuclear deterrent,” Gantz said. “Israel is the only country which someone calls for its destruction, and is building the tools to do so.”

Gantz did add, however, that a determined international campaign, including harsh sanctions and isolation of Iran from the global economy, could succeed in convincing the Islamic republic to abandon its nuclear programme.

Speaking on Thursday morning at Herzliya conference, IDF’s head of intelligence Aviv Kochavi reiterated Gantz saying once Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei makes a decision to ‘breakout’ to nuclear weapons capability, it would take a year for Iran to build a crude nuclear device, and another year for it to have nuclear warhead.

In related news, the International Atomic Energy Agency said yesterday it would hold a second round of talks with Iran on 21 and 22 February over concerns that it was working on developing a nuclear weapon. A senior team from the IAEA returned to Vienna yesterday after three days of talks in Tehran.