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Is Iran’s claim about having a nuclear weapon just false bravado?
American Thinker ^ | 06/05/2026 | James Zumwalt

Posted on 06/05/2026 10:19:22 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

If a former CIA agent’s report is accurate, Iran may find itself making a decision the U.S. was faced with making in 1945. The agent, Larry Johnson, revealed that Pakistan’s Foreign Minister personally delivered a disturbing, secret message to Secretary of State Mark Rubio claiming that Iran does possess a nuclear weapon. He also reports Tehran intends to demonstrate soon this capability to the world community. The immediate question obviously is just how Iran intends to demonstrate it?

In 1945, during World War II, the U.S. had to decide how to demonstrate to Japan it possessed an atomic weapon, developed under the Manhattan Project. Due to the weapon’s never-before-seen destructive power, President Harry Truman weighed all options on how best to do this, as Japan was a country historically known for its unwavering warrior mentality that defied surrender.

One of those options was to invite Japanese officials to witness the weapon’s testing, allowing them to see its destructive capability firsthand. While such an option would avoid killing thousands of Japanese civilians, Truman opted not to do so for one reason. As the weapon was yet to be tested, a test failure would prove to be an embarrassment that only encouraged Japan to continue fighting.

The U.S. only had three atomic weapons, with one to be used for testing, leaving only two for use against Japan. And, it was believed it might take as many as twelve such bombings before Japan capitulated.

Truman decided the risk of a test failure was too high. Thus, after its successful testing in New Mexico, the remaining two were destined to target the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This decision proved to be the right one as Japan ultimately submitted to an unconditional surrender—on August 15, 1945...

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Iran; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: bloggers; bombbombbombbombiran; cartersfolly; democratsdisaster; iran; jameszumwalt; larrycjohnson; larryjohnson; nihilism; noitisnot; nukes; obamasfolly; rop; waronterror; worldwar3

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If Pakistan’s claim is true, in addition to how Iran intends to “demonstrate” its weapon, is the question of just how many such devices Iran might have? Pakistan’s report is contrary to what U.S. intelligence has long indicated—repeatedly telling us Iran was only on the verge of a breakthrough concerning the technology. But, if it is so armed, there is no room for error in predicting what its leadership now might do.

While Iran lacks an intercontinental missile capability and thus is unable to target the U.S. mainland, other options remain available to effect such a demonstration. This includes targeting Israel, or a U.S. base closer to home. It could even include attacking a fellow Muslim country as Iran has already shown by striking out at Kuwait—claiming it was in retaliation for an earlier U.S. attack.

1 posted on 06/05/2026 10:19:22 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

In light of this development, the last thing the U.S. should be doing is restricting President Donald Trump’s range of options against Iran.

Yet that is exactly what the House voted to do in limiting his war powers authority in Iran. At a time when Trump is negotiating with the mullahs to end the conflict, the House gives them reason to hold off making any such agreement in hopes of improving their negotiating position.


2 posted on 06/05/2026 10:20:06 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Challenge them...tell them to prove it by setting it of in Tehran.


3 posted on 06/05/2026 10:20:35 AM PDT by for-q-clinton (RL)
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To: SeekAndFind

Wasn’t Tokyo the original target, and not Hiroshima?

Tokyo was saved by bad weather, IIRC.........


4 posted on 06/05/2026 10:22:53 AM PDT by Red Badger (Iryna Zarutska, May 22, 2002 Kyiv, Ukraine – August 22, 2025 Charlotte, North Carolina Say her name)
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To: Red Badger

I do not think Tokyo was the original target. It may have been considered.

I think this is just a bluff by the Iranians. They have not been known for their truthfulness.

They have become know for making threats they cannot back up.


5 posted on 06/05/2026 10:28:55 AM PDT by marktwain (----------------------)
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To: Red Badger

RE: Wasn’t Tokyo the original target, and not Hiroshima?

I don’t think so. Tokyo was explicitly removed because it had already been heavily firebombed and was considered too destroyed to serve as a meaningful demonstration target.

Tokyo had already been devastated by the March 9–10, 1945 firebombing, known as Operation Meetinghouse, which killed 90,000–100,000 people and destroyed 16 square miles of the city — the single most destructive air raid of the war.

Because the atomic bomb was intended to:

* demonstrate overwhelming destructive power,

* be measured scientifically,

* and shock Japan’s leadership into surrender,

the target needed to be largely intact so the effects could be clearly observed. Tokyo no longer met that criterion.

BTW, If you haven’t, go to Hiroshima today, I was amazed at how the city has recovered to become one of the most prosperous and clean cities in the world ! It is fully rebuilt, economically strong, globally connected city with a dual identity: a major industrial hub and one of the world’s most important centers for peace education. The city is not only “doing well” — it is thriving — though it also faces some demographic challenges.

Iran CAN BE like that if the Mullahs and IRGC are gotten rid of and replaced by less corrupt and more reasonable leaders.


6 posted on 06/05/2026 10:29:31 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

The 1 Obama gave them ?


7 posted on 06/05/2026 10:31:54 AM PDT by butlerweave (Fateh)
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To: SeekAndFind

All the more reason to eradicate these lunatics, before they have 20 of ‘em or an ICBM.


8 posted on 06/05/2026 10:31:57 AM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Red Badger

The primary intended target for the first atomic bomb was Hiroshima, while Kokura was the primary target for the second atomic bomb. Bad weather spared Kokura. Tokyo was never on the approved target list since we wanted to spare the Emperor.


9 posted on 06/05/2026 10:32:36 AM PDT by DugwayDuke (Most pick the expert who says the things they agree with.)
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To: SeekAndFind

I watched some of the video by Johnson who identified as “x-cia”. I found him hard to watch and unconvincing. The chance of this story being true is probably small but would explain Trump’s current reluctance to finish the job. I wonder what Israeli intelligence says about this?


10 posted on 06/05/2026 10:33:11 AM PDT by Swirl
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To: SeekAndFind

If true, then Israel must act because Iran will not even think about using it.


11 posted on 06/05/2026 10:33:18 AM PDT by mikey_hates_everything
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To: SeekAndFind
Larry Johnson is not credible.

Freepers understood this after 9/11.

Some of us remember those days.

12 posted on 06/05/2026 10:33:47 AM PDT by Widget Jr (us Trump us)
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To: SeekAndFind

If they had one they’d of used it already against Israel.


13 posted on 06/05/2026 10:34:54 AM PDT by maddog55 (The only thing systemic in America is the left's hatred of it!)
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If a former CIA agent’s report is accurate, Iran may find itself making a decision the U.S. was faced with making in 1945 …
That is a vile comparison. The US intended to use atomic weapons to end a war. Iran intends to use them to start the worst war in human history.
14 posted on 06/05/2026 10:36:33 AM PDT by Olog-hai ("No Republican, no matter how liberal, is going to woo a Democratic vote." -- Ronald Reagan, 1960)
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To: SeekAndFind

Setting on off would be such a tragedy because we would have to retaliate like wise and just no winner in that scenario. That is unless the dims hamstring the president and we show our belly.


15 posted on 06/05/2026 10:37:13 AM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: maddog55

That would have ended their Islamic revolution before it started. They might be nihilistic, but they are not dumb.


16 posted on 06/05/2026 10:37:31 AM PDT by Olog-hai ("No Republican, no matter how liberal, is going to woo a Democratic vote." -- Ronald Reagan, 1960)
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To: SeekAndFind

Mossad don’t fail us now! BTW. Those men seen coming out of Brooklyn sewer manholes in the middle of the night just mght be Special Forces training for a Tehran mission.


17 posted on 06/05/2026 10:41:12 AM PDT by allendale
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To: maddog55

I am sure the Pakis and N Koreans would love to give the Iranians a little help. A scenario in which Iran were to demonstrate against a live target could quickly escalate our attacks on not just Iran, but any countries who provided material and aid.


18 posted on 06/05/2026 10:43:30 AM PDT by Swirl
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To: SeekAndFind

If Iran targets even one US asset with a nuclear missile, it will be a glass parking lot courtesy of SLBMs. We won’t even need to send B-2s with B83s.


19 posted on 06/05/2026 10:44:12 AM PDT by InsidiousMongo
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To: SeekAndFind

I don’t think they do because 5 minutes after they acquired one, it would be on its way to Tel Aviv.


20 posted on 06/05/2026 10:44:52 AM PDT by TangoLimaSierra (⭐⭐To the Left, the Truth is Right Wing Violence⭐⭐)
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