MESOP MIDEAST WATCH MEMRI TV Clip No. 9816
Iranian Political Analyst Emad Abshenas: Iran Has Crossed The Nuclear Threshold; It Can Produce A Nuclear Weapon In A Matter Of Days
Iranian political analyst Emad Abshenas, the Editor-in-Chief of Iran Diplomatic, said in a September 9, 2022 interview on Mayadeen TV (Lebanon) show that Iran has crossed the nuclear threshold and that it can produce a nuclear weapon within a matter of two or three days if the “political decision” is made. He also said that since they left the JCPOA, the U.S. has lost all of its bargaining chips in the nuclear talks.
Emad Abshenas: “American policy has always been a policy of carrot and stick. Today, the Americans hold the stick, but there is no carrot. When there is no carrot, the other side [to the negotiations] will not cooperate with America in anything. The problem with the indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States is that the Americans are unable to lift the sanctions they imposed. They have imposed interconnected sanctions, and they are unable — or rather, do not want — [to lift them]. [The Americans] use manipulation in these negotiations. Today, they do not have any major bargaining chips vis-a-vis Iran. They have lost all their trump cards since leaving the nuclear agreement.
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“Today, Iran has crossed the nuclear threshold. The basic goal of the nuclear agreement was to keep Iran at least one year away from the nuclear threshold. Today, however, Iran isn’t far from the nuclear threshold. I can tell you that if Iran decides to produce a nuclear weapon, the first nuclear weapon will be ready within two or three days perhaps, if the political decision is made.”