Senior Israeli officials have reaffirmed a statement by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo by disclosing Iran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons in less than a year if it decided to take swift action toward that objective.
The top American diplomat warned in a Tweet that “Iran’s plans to increase its nuclear activity at Fordow raise concerns that Iran is positioning itself for a rapid nuclear breakout.” Pompeo underscored the urgent need to confront this danger during his current visit to Germany, writing “It is now time for all nations to reject (Iran’s) nuclear extortion and increase pressure.”
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel reiterated her country’s concerns over the latest nuclear-related developments in Iran. Speaking at a joint press conference in Berlin alongside NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the German Chancellor echoed earlier statements from the Foreign Minister Heiko Maas that the Islamic Republic has taken “steps going in the wrong direction.”
While Merkel maintained that no final decisions have been finalized over strategies to confront Tehran’s latest activities, she confessed that “with each step Iran takes the situation naturally gets more difficult.”