Iran can produce fissile material for bomb in weeks: Blinken

WASHINGTON: Iran is capable of producing fissile material for use in a nuclear weapon within “one or two weeks,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday.

Blinken said, however, that “what we’ve seen in the last weeks and months is an Iran that’s actually moving forward” with its nuclear program. Speaking at a security forum in Colorado, Blinken blamed the collapse of the nuclear deal for the acceleration in Iran’s capabilities. “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. Blinken said a long-sought ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was within sight, saying negotiators were “driving toward the goal line.” He said “I believe we’re inside the 10-yard line and driving toward the goal line in getting an agreement that would produce a ceasefire, get the hostages home and build lasting peace and stability,” Blinken said.