Britain foiled Iran nuclear-weapon drive: Intelligence boss

Iran has been subject to severe international economic sanctions over its controversial nuclear programme.


Afp July 13, 2012

LONDON: Britain's foreign intelligence chief believes his agents prevented Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons but that the pariah state will become armed within two years, the Daily Telegraph reported Friday.

In a rare public speech, MI6 boss John Sawers told a meeting of around 100 senior civil servants in London that British agents had foiled Iran's attempts to produce a nuclear weapon as long as four years ago, according to the Telegraph.

"You'd have Iran as a nuclear weapons state in 2008 rather than still being two years away in 2012," the report quoted Sawers as saying last week.

When Iran does finally acquire nuclear status, the intelligence chief warned that Israel and the United States "would face huge dangers".

"I think it will be very tough for any prime minister of Israel or president of the United States to accept a nuclear-armed Iran," he suggested.

The US unleashed a fresh wave of sanctions against Iran on Thursday, ratcheting up pressure to convince Tehran to take seriously concerns about its suspected nuclear weapons programme.

The actions impose additional sanctions on Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile proliferation networks and identify Iranian "front" companies and banks to assist in compliance, the Treasury Department said.

"The Treasury and State Department actions target more than 50 entities tied to Iran's procurement, petroleum, and shipping networks," the Treasury said.

Iran has been subject to severe international economic sanctions over its controversial nuclear programme, which Western powers believe masks an atomic weapons drive despite repeated denials by Tehran.

COMMENTS (5)

Muhammad Hassan | 11 years ago | Reply

I don't really understand why Israel is so fearful of a nuclear armed Iran, considering that they too posses nuclear weapons and have a army powerful enough to crush Iran in a one-on-one war. Moreover, any aggression by Iran is highly unlikely as long as Israel continues to command the support of the entire Western world. I don't think Iranian leaders are so stupid as to launch a attack against Israel.

j. von hettlingen | 11 years ago | Reply

Due to the Shia/Sunni conflict and Israel's fear of "being wiped off the map" by Iran many in the Middle East don't trust the theocratic regime in Tehran. They see a nuclear-armed Iran a threat to regional security and stability.

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