Iran 'capable of building a nuclear bomb'

Threats between Iran and Israel are becoming increasingly visible. The head of Iran's Strategic Council on Strategic Relations, Kamal Jazari, a senior adviser to Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, has declared that his country is "capable of building a nuclear bomb" because Iran possesses the resources and technology to make one.

"In a few days we have been able to enrich uranium to 60%, and we can easily produce uranium enriched to 90%. Iran has the technical means to produce a nuclear bomb, but there has been no decision to build one," said Jazari, referring to the decision to pursue a peaceful programme despite US suspicions.

However, these statements have already been met with a response from Israel. "It is a moral obligation and an order of national security" for Israel to prepare for a military response to Iran's nuclear programme. These were the words of Israeli army chief Aviv Kochavi, who was also quoted in The Times of Israel as saying that "preparing the home front for war is a task that must be carried out in the coming years, especially in light of the possibility that we will be required to act against the nuclear threat", something the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) is already doing.

These preparations would include "a variety of operational aircraft, the display of many assets, the acquisition of appropriate weapons, intelligence and training", in a clear intention to flex military muscle in the face of what is the greatest threat in the Middle East.

These threats also come at a crucial moment: the first visit of US President Joe Biden to the region, who expressed his desire to return to the 2015 Iranian nuclear agreement before leaving Washington. The pact, which involved international actors such as China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the European Union, implied the lifting of sanctions on the Islamic Republic in exchange for limits and supervision of its nuclear activities. 

A pact that was abandoned four years ago by Donald Trump, then occupant of the White House, and to which Biden has also referred. "I think it was a huge mistake for the previous president to withdraw from the deal. Now [Iran] is closer to a nuclear weapon than before. We can act against that and still have an agreement that can reduce the nuclear programme," said the US president. 

And it was with that goal in mind that the US and Israel agreed the Jerusalem Declaration, which includes "all elements of national power" to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

The agreement, signed by Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, includes working with allies in the region to confront Iran's aggression and destabilising activities, including through Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad. 

So much so that, during the US president's visit to Saudi Arabia, both Biden and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman agreed on the importance of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, according to a statement by the Saudi state news agency (SPA). For the time being, retaking the nuclear deal is relegated to the US and Iran.