U.S. intelligence believes that Iran's new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, is significantly more interested in developing nuclear weapons than his predecessor, Ali Khamenei. This was reported by The New York Times, citing U.S. officials familiar with intelligence assessments, writes UNN.
Details
According to the publication, Iran's current leadership, after the change of power, has taken a tougher stance and may seek to develop modern nuclear weapons, although Tehran has not officially announced such intentions.
U.S. intelligence records a shift in Tehran's approach
As NYT notes, U.S. intelligence agencies believe that Mojtaba Khamenei does not share his father's reluctance regarding the creation of nuclear weapons. At the same time, the U.S. has no data indicating that Iran has already resumed its nuclear bomb program.
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According to U.S. officials, after U.S. strikes on nuclear facilities, Iran moved some of its centrifuges to a deep underground complex known as Mount Pikax to protect the equipment from further attacks.
Assessments could influence Trump's decisions
The publication notes that these conclusions emerged amid U.S. President Donald Trump's deliberations on possibly increasing military pressure on Iran.
Despite the strikes on nuclear infrastructure last year, U.S. intelligence believes that Iran has retained its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and key elements of its nuclear program, allowing Tehran to resume work in the future.
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