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Iranian Breakout Timeline Now at Zero
isis-online.org ^ | 6/1/2022 | David Albright and Sarah Burkhard

Posted on 06/05/2022 6:02:33 PM PDT by bitt

Iran has crossed a new, dangerous threshold; Iran’s breakout timeline is now at zero. It has enough 60 percent enriched uranium or highly enriched uranium (HEU) to be assured it could fashion a nuclear explosive.1 If Iran wanted to further enrich its 60 percent HEU up to weapon-grade HEU, or 90 percent, it could do so within a few weeks with only a few of its advanced centrifuge cascades.2

In parallel, within a month, it could produce enough weapon-grade uranium for a second nuclear explosive from its existing stock of near 20 percent low enriched uranium. Whether or not Iran enriches its HEU up to 90 percent, it can have enough HEU for two nuclear weapons within one month after starting breakout.

Within 1.5 months after starting breakout, it could accumulate enough for a third nuclear weapon, using its remaining near 20 percent enriched uranium and some of its 4.5 percent enriched uranium. In 2.75 months after starting breakout, it could have a fourth quantity by further enriching 4.5 percent enriched uranium up to 90 percent. At six months, it could have produced a fifth quantity by further enriching both 4.5 percent enriched uranium and natural uranium. The accumulation for a sixth would take several months longer.

When Iran ended its crash nuclear weapons program in 2003, its biggest bottleneck was its lack of weapon-grade uranium, needing at least a few more years to accumulate enough weapon-grade uranium for a nuclear weapon.3 Under intense international pressure, it decided in 2003 to downsize and better camouflage its nuclear weapons effort, while pushing to establish a robust capability to enrich uranium. Today, that decision has borne fruit. While it could only yearn for enough nuclear explosive material for five nuclear weapons in 2003, today it can have enough for those five weapons in six months. With its residual and covert nuclear weaponization capabilities, it could test a nuclear explosive underground or deploy a crude nuclear weapon within several months, certainly within six months, and deploy nuclear weapons on ballistic missiles in a year or two.

As Iran has reached a zero breakout timeline, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has issued a harsh judgement that Iran is violating its safeguards agreement under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, judged as having undeclared nuclear materials and activities, related to past and possibly on-going nuclear weapons efforts. Iran moreover shows no sign of being willing to rectify these violations or provide assurance to the IAEA its nuclear weapons program has ended. In fact, Iran’s answers to the IAEA are not only technically noncredible and lack support, but they are also haughty. Iran’s actions have placed the international community in an extremely difficult position. Some argue for reentering a nuclear deal, even one weaker than the 2015 nuclear deal, because it will extend breakout timelines. But we now know that what Iran takes apart, it can put back together quickly. Even if Iran downsized its enrichment program, it could quickly reconstitute its capabilities, as seen by its actions from 2018 to present. A deal is also but a short-term fix — the 2015 accord permits the program’s expansion in just a few years. And the IAEA’s judgement renders any meaningful verification of such a deal impossible, even dangerous, sure to lead Iran to further violations and others to seek nuclear weapons. It is time to recognize that only the toughest type of pressure, akin to that on Russia today, is going to convince Iran not to build nuclear weapons.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: china; iran; nuclearweapon; russia
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1 posted on 06/05/2022 6:02:33 PM PDT by bitt
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To: Whenifhow; null and void; aragorn; EnigmaticAnomaly; kalee; Kale; AZ .44 MAG; Baynative; bgill; ...

as discussed on Levin show tonight..


2 posted on 06/05/2022 6:03:06 PM PDT by bitt ( <img src=' 'width=50%> )
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To: bitt

>>the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has issued a harsh judgement that Iran is violating its safeguards agreement under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Well, a strongly-worded letter should solve everything then.


3 posted on 06/05/2022 6:10:01 PM PDT by vikingd00d (chown -R us ~you/base)
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To: bitt

Rat Party Headquarters wants Iran to have a nuke.


4 posted on 06/05/2022 6:10:07 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Covid Is All About Mail In Ballots)
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To: bitt

Thanks 0bama, thanks Kerry and your wife Biden.


5 posted on 06/05/2022 6:10:19 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: bitt
Israel Warns It Will Use “Right To Self-Defense” To Keep Nukes Out Of Iran
6 posted on 06/05/2022 6:11:41 PM PDT by blam
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To: bitt

I believe that Pakistan, a notorious sponsor of terrorism, has nuclear weapons.


7 posted on 06/05/2022 6:12:56 PM PDT by Arcadian Empire (The Baric-Daszak-Fauci spike protein, by itself, is deadly.)
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To: bitt

There is no doubt that Iran will have nuclear weapons, and soon - and there is little doubt that they will attack Israel with them as soon as they have deliverable weapons.


8 posted on 06/05/2022 6:22:52 PM PDT by Jim Noble (I’ve stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains)
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To: Gay State Conservative
Rat Party Headquarters wants Iran to have a nuke

What American political parties want, or don't want, with regard to the Iranian weapons development program is of no importance.

9 posted on 06/05/2022 6:24:18 PM PDT by Jim Noble (I’ve stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains)
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To: MtnClimber

And Kerry’s daughter given in marriage to an Iranian bigwig.


10 posted on 06/05/2022 6:44:10 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (5.%>)
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To: grey_whiskers

Her close ties to John Fn Kerry are deeply concerning.


11 posted on 06/05/2022 6:48:29 PM PDT by TigersEye (Shall not be infringed!)
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To: bitt

I bet Putin and Xi gave the Iranians assistance.


12 posted on 06/05/2022 6:57:19 PM PDT by Thunder90 (All posts soley represent my own opinion.)
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To: Arcadian Empire

You got to be kidding us right?

They have had them for years now.


13 posted on 06/05/2022 7:08:55 PM PDT by crz
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To: Jim Noble

>>What American political parties want, or don’t want, with regard to the Iranian weapons development program is of no importance.<<

Well then I guess pallets of $$$ USD $$$ delivered in the dark of night on unmarked aircraft shouldn’t be of any concern then. Good grief!


14 posted on 06/05/2022 7:12:22 PM PDT by servantboy777
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To: servantboy777
Well then I guess pallets of $$$ USD $$$ delivered in the dark of night on unmarked aircraft shouldn’t be of any concern then

What does that have to do with the subject we are discussing?

Do you think Iran won't develop nuclear weapons because of a cash flow problem?

15 posted on 06/05/2022 7:21:14 PM PDT by Jim Noble (I’ve stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains)
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To: Jim Noble

Check out the Obama Nuclear Deal. He filled a plane with multiple currencies totaling over a billion dollars as an initial bribe to get Iran to sign on to the first deal.
I’m sure it all went to terrorists and Soleimani so that they could kill soldiers.


16 posted on 06/05/2022 7:25:45 PM PDT by JerseyDvl (During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.)
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To: Jim Noble

>>What American political parties want, or don’t want, with regard to the Iranian weapons development program is of no importance.<<

Just responding to your comment. Democrats handed billions of cash on the down low. The Iranians use this in part to further their atomic ambitions.

>>Do you think Iran won’t develop nuclear weapons because of a cash flow problem?<< I think their research program would continue regardless. It is when the rubber hits the road and they must have the cash to purchase various materials/components to further their goals.

Stuff ain’t free.


17 posted on 06/05/2022 7:26:55 PM PDT by servantboy777
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To: bitt

I’m sure Biden and his deep state idiots can count on Russia’s help now


18 posted on 06/05/2022 7:29:30 PM PDT by PGR88
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To: bitt

Seems the ME is where WWIII will possibly begin. When the Radical Muslims get a nuke, Israel will take them out, maybe for good. China and Russia have improved their Political relationships in the ME and will provide support for Iran. With Biden being guided by the Retread Staff of Obozo the USA will stand down. The Chinese and Russians have given the Dems, Biden and Obozo billions for oil and economic pathways to Europe and appear in total control of major political and economic portions of the World. 50 million illegal immigrants will be voting Democratic in the USA.


19 posted on 06/05/2022 7:53:39 PM PDT by chopperk
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To: chopperk
Seems the ME is where WWIII will possibly begin.

I think I read that somewhere once.

20 posted on 06/05/2022 7:59:08 PM PDT by Liberty Tree Surgeon
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