IRAN’S NUKESIran Could Make Fuel for Nuclear Bomb in Less Than 2 Weeks: Gen. Milley

By Carla Babb

Published 24 March 2023

Iran could make enough fissile material for a nuclear bomb in “less than two weeks” and could produce a nuclear weapon in “several more months,” according to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley. The 2015 nuclear deal signed by the Obama administration increased Iran’s “breakout” time – that is, the time required to produce one nuclear weapon once a decision to do has been made — to about twelve months, but the Trump administration’s 2018 decision unilaterally to withdraw from the deal has allowed Iran to reduce the breakout time to about two weeks.

Iran could make enough fissile material for a nuclear bomb in “less than two weeks” and could produce a nuclear weapon in “several more months,” according to the top U.S. military officer.

Speaking to members of Congress on Thursday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley told lawmakers the United States “remains committed” to preventing Iran from fielding a nuclear weapon.

“We, the United States military, have developed multiple options for national leadership to consider if or when Iran ever decides to develop an actual nuclear weapon,” Milley added.

Milley’s comments echo those that U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl made last month. Kahl told lawmakers it would take Iran “about 12 days” to make enough fuel for a nuclear weapon should it decide to do so.

The estimate is a drastic change from 2018 when the Trump administration pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal. At that time, it was estimated that Iran would need about a year to produce the weapons-grade fuel needed for one nuclear bomb.

The news comes as both Milley and the head of U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, warned lawmakers in separate hearings Thursday that Iran continues to destabilize the Middle East through its support of terrorist groups and proxy forces.

Since January 2021, Iranian proxies have attacked U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria 78 times using drones and rockets, according to CENTCOM Commander General Erik Kurilla.

Carla Babb is VOA News Pentagon correspondent.  This article is published courtesy of the Voice of America (VOA).