Iran can produce fissile material for nuclear bomb in 'one or two weeks': Blinken

Iran can produce fissile material for use in a nuclear weapon within "one or two weeks," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday (July 20). The details were shared just weeks after election of moderate President Masoud Pezeshkian.

While Pezeshkian has said he wants to end Iran's economic isolation and that he stands for reviving the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and global powers, Blinken disapproved Iranian president's assertion.

Blinken said that "what we have seen in the last weeks and months is an Iran that's actually moving forward" with its nuclear program.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

In 2018, the United States under former President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal, which was designed to regulate Iran's atomic activities in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

Speaking at an event Blinken blamed the collapse of the nuclear deal for the acceleration in Iran's capabilities.

Also watch |Does Iran have nuclear weapons?

"Instead of being at least a year away from having the breakout capacity of producing fissile material for a nuclear weapon, (Iran) is now probably one or two weeks away from doing that," Blinken said.

He added that Iran had not yet developed a nuclear weapon.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said last month that Iran is expanding its nuclear capacities. Tehran has already informed the agency that it was installing more cascades -- or series of centrifuges used in enrichment -- at nuclear facilities in Natanz and Fordow.

Iran is the only non-nuclear weapons state to enrich uranium to the high level of 60 per cent, just short of weapons-grade.

Following the US withdrawal, Iran has gradually broken away from its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal.

But Iran's acting foreign minister Ali Bagheri told CNN earlier this week that the country remains committed to the accord, known as the JCPOA.

"We are still a member of JCPOA. America has not yet been able to return to the JCPOA, so the goal we are pursuing is the revival of the 2015 agreement," he said adding "We are not looking for a new agreement."

(With inputs from agencies)