nuclear-news

Nuclear weapon for Iran in doubt: its nuke program slows

U.S. agencies believe Iran’s nuclear efforts have slowed By Mark Hosenball Jan 12, 2011  WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. intelligence agencies believe Iranian leaders have not yet decided to build a nuclear bomb, and some officials say recent problems affecting Tehran’s nuclear equipment and personnel have set back Iran’s nuclear program by two years or more.
The latest assessments, based at least in part on Israeli intelligence, appear to have eased political pressures on Israeli and American leaders for a military strike against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, according to current and former officials familiar with the intelligence.

These developments have also given the administration of President Barack Obama breathing room to pursue a two-pronged strategy of seeking greater diplomatic engagement with Tehran while also threatening increased economic sanctions, they said.

Deadly attacks on Iranian nuclear scientists and a computer virus which allegedly infected control systems for Iran’s uranium enrichment equipment have likely slowed Iran’s nuclear progress, Israeli intelligence sources have said. ………..Meir Dagan, outgoing director of Israel’s principal intelligence agency, Mossad, said Tehran would not be able to build a bomb for at least four years “because of measures that have been deployed against them.”

U.S. agencies believe Iran’s nuclear efforts have slowed | Reuters

January 13, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, weapons and war