Politics

Minister of Strategic and Intelligence Affairs and International Relations Dr. Yuval Steinitz, today (Tuesday, 21 May 2013), in Zichron Yaakov, addressed the First International C5I Conference, and discussed the Iranian threat.

Minister Steinitz said (inter alia): "Events and the situation in Syria, Sinai and the Gaza Strip must not displace – even for a moment – the most critical issue, which is a nuclear Iran. The Iranian nuclear project changes the situation; it will change the situation for the State of Israel, the Middle East and even that of the entire world. The Iranians' ambition is to change the global balance of forces from end to end. Iran is not North Korea or Pakistan. Its nuclear industry is many times larger than that of either North Korea or Pakistan. This is a ramified nuclear industry that has been built not to produce a few bombs but to produce fissionable material for dozens and hundreds of nuclear bombs. The issue at hand is not a nuclear state but the possibility of creating a nuclear superpower. Today, the Natanz facility has about 12,000 centrifuges and plans to reach 54,000. It will be able to enrich enough uranium to produce 20-30 atomic bombs per annum. The Qom site already has approximately 3,000 centrifuges and is using several hundred for enrichment purposes. Within a decade, the Iranians will be able to have over 100 nuclear bombs. The danger is not that of ayatollahs with a few bombs in the basement but a genuine danger to world peace. Even if it takes time to produce hydrogen bombs, it will cover for this by producing dozens of bombs per annum. Even now Iran has missiles aimed at Israel, missiles that could also reach a considerable part of Europe and it is making a concentrated effort to develop a satellite launch vehicle, which is, in effect, cover for inter-continental ballistic missiles." Minister Steinitz said that Iran will achieve such a capability within three-four years.