In Washington on Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid claimed in a meeting with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan that Iran is “becoming a nuclear threshold state.”
A nuclear threshold state typically means a country has the capability to quickly build nuclear weapons but has not yet done so. Lapid’s comments are just another false claim by Israel that Iran is racing towards a nuclear bomb.
Israel points to the fact that Iran is enriching some uranium at 60 percent as evidence of Tehran’s desire for nuclear weapons. But 60 percent is still well below the 90 percent needed for weapons-grade, and this step was taken in response to an Israeli attack on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility back in April.
The alarmist wording from Lapid comes as Israel is trying to convince the US not to return to the Iran nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA. Lapid’s office said the Israeli foreign minister raised with Sullivan “the need for an alternative plan” to the JCPOA.
If the Israelis were really concerned with Iran’s nuclear advancements, they would favor a revival of the JCPOA. If the US returns to the JCPOA by lifting sanctions, Iran will comply with the strict limits of the agreement, which include a 3.67 percent cap on uranium enrichment.
One complaint Israel has about the JCPOA is that it is not permanent. But after the agreement expires, Iran would still be bound by the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which Israel refuses to sign due to its secret nuclear weapons program.
Indirect negotiations between the US and Iran to revive the JCPOA have been stalled since June 20th. Iran has said it will return to the talks, but a date has not been set. In the meantime, the US has been coordinating very closely with the Israelis and has imposed more Iran-related sanctions.
Is it me or are the pronouncements from the 21st Century Apartheid state becoming even more unhinged than they were under the previous fascist?
And after they chastised Bibi for his in your face approach and promised to be more low key. That lasted for about a week.
The true fascists are Syria and Iran.
Meanwhile, as far as “apartheid”, there are Muslim and Christian Arabs living in Israel,with a growing population.The Arab countries expelled virtually all their Jews.
Iran has been a year away from a nuclear weapon for decades. Israel has at least 50 nuclear weapons, perhaps hundreds.Numbers are fun.
Make that 300 Britian France America gave them 50 in 1948 and kept it secret because it was illegal.
. Britain tested their first nuke about 1951, and France about 1960-but they used time machines to send their beloved precious nukes back to 1948.
How dare Israel make such a statement!! WTF??
Well, yes, “threshold” … they have had all the knowledge and ability for decades … this is not a new condition. Iean has chosen not to build nukes, probably because they calculate the threat is more strategic than the reality.
However, I guess the question is whether USrael prefers Iran as a threshold or as a nuke power? They seem to be doing everything possible to force Iran to decide on the latter.
Israel prefers threshold. That way Israel can continue to attack, kill scientists, both acts of war.
The current government of Israel appears to be constructed on quicksand hence needs these inane statements to keep from sinking.
“…the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which Israel refuses to sign due to its secret nuclear weapons program.”
That anyone would be so obliviously a fool to pay the slightest attention to such hypocrites is astonishing!
“In the meantime, the US has been coordinating very closely with the Israelis and has imposed more Iran-related sanctions.”
Sycophantic dupe and fool identified !
So tell me, Mister Lapid, when Israel crossed that nuclear threshold and how far past it have you gone?
Mordecai Vanunu knows.
Yes, the NPT that Iran signed in 1968, ratified in 1970.
Hitler and Stalin made a pact-how long did it hold up?
Iran has abided by the terms of the NPT and the supplemental Accords, even when other nations, particularly the declared nuclear powers, have not. As for Israel’s hypocrisy in pointing out Iran’s status, they’re not even a signatory to the NPT, so there’s that.
Yeh a bit like Tony Blier and his Iraqi WMDs , the Isrealis are a Godless Nation.
The rogue nuclear state with the World’s fourth largest nuclear arsenal, about which it lies, has no right to talk about its fears that another nation maybe one day might do the same thing.
This is disgusting. We ought to be sanctioning Israel and forcing it to end its illegal nuclear weapons status. THEN we could address Iran, ONLY after that.
Israel may be softening a bit; Iran isn’t on the threshold of becoming a nuclear state anymore but the threshold of the threshold of becoming a nuclear state.
That’s either a big improvement in Israeli Iran policy, or Biden gaffe-ing is contageous.
funny thing about the israeLIES, they crossed that threshold themselves decades ago with stolen,pilfered, purchased US nuclear secrets.. and everyone else pretends (or is bribed and or blackmailed to stfu) it never happened.