Iran is closer to becoming a nuclear-armed power than much of the world realizes, according to a nonpartisan research group’s new report.
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) claims Iran could have a nuclear bomb before the presidential election, and suggests U.S. troops need to be deployed to the region immediately to counter such an outcome.
The FDD published a strategic plan, "Deterring Iran's Dash to a Nuclear Bomb," with two dozen specific recommendations they say the Biden administration needs to quickly change the tides on Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
"Unless the Biden-Harris administration takes robust steps now to deter and hinder those advances, Iran could complete a crude nuclear bomb before the next U.S. president is inaugurated," the plan’s co-author, Orde Kittrie, said.
The report demanded the Biden administration declassify all intelligence assessments related to Iran’s nuclear program to build up domestic and international pressure to deter Iran.
It also called for putting U.S. boots on the ground, "at least on a temporary basis," to send a message that the U.S. is prepared to stop an Iranian nuclear breakout if necessary.
The group warned that while most U.S. officials are monitoring Iran’s capacity to enrich uranium to 90%, the regime is taking other, covert steps toward a nuclear weapon, like taking measures toward building a nuclear explosive device that would make quick work of putting a bomb together.
"It's undertaking other advances which would make an eventual sprint to cross that line faster and much harder to stop," Kittrie said.
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On July 19, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that it would take "one to two weeks" to produce sufficient weapons-grade uranium for one nuclear weapon.
"I think Americans should be very, very worried, because Iran is a vicious, bloodthirsty regime, and here they are on the verge of acquiring the world's most powerful weapon."
It may be impossible for western nations to detect when Iran is in its final stages of building a nuclear bomb as much of the activity occurs in hidden, underground facilities, according to the report.
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In addition to putting boots on the ground, the FDD is calling for President Biden to increase joint military exercises with partners in the region, lift the U.S. hold on 2,000-pound MK-84 bombs to Israel and remove any roadblocks to provide Israel with planes and munitions.
The group also called on the top of the Republican and Democratic tickets, as well as Biden, to explicitly state their commitment to the use of force to prevent Iran from creating a nuclear weapon.
"Biden's strongest statement on this issue was actually weaker than Obama's strongest statement on the same topic," said Kittrie.
"The administration keeps saying, well, a military option is on the table. But implying that a military option is on the table is not the same as stating that the option will, if necessary, be used in addition, the administration talks in terms of commitment that Iran never acquired a nuclear weapon. That leaves unclear the parameters of the undesirable result."
The FDD said the U.S. needs to "massively increase" the use of sanctions and work with nations like the United Kingdom, France, and Germany to trigger sanctions within the United Nations.
