Experts Say Israel Is Right to Be Wary of Iran Nuclear Talks – Karl Vick
(Daily alert)
Olli Heinonen, a former deputy director of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency, was blunt on the danger posed by Iran’s stockpiles of “low-enriched” uranium, “which is why I understand the concerns of Prime Minister Netanyahu.” Iran has almost 7 metric tons of that material, and “you have done something like 60% of the effort you have to do to produce weapons-grade uranium.”
David Albright, an American former IAEA inspector, runs the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS). With current stores and no “cap” imposed by an interim agreement on the number of centrifuges it could use, Tehran might create a bomb in as little as a month, an ISIS study concluded.
Albright said Iran’s leadership team on the nuclear issue “is very good on making promises – enticements – but has not been so good about delivering.” “It happened in ’05 the same way: Lots of promises, but in the end Iran wants a centrifuge program that is essentially uncapped.” (TIME)
Iran’s Nuclear Drive Has Cost $170 Billion(AFP)
Israeli security sources said Tuesdaythat Iran’s nuclear program has cost the country $170 billion.
$40 billion were “invested over the past 20 years in the construction and operation of nuclear infrastructure,” the sources said.
Iran also “lost $130 billion because of sanctions put in place since 2012,” including $105 billion linked to the oil sector and $25 billion linked to banking, trade and industry, development and investment.