Iran is "pressing the gas pedal" on enriching near-weapons-grade uranium, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi said today.
He stated that Iran was previously producing "more or less seven kilograms (of uranium enriched up to 60%) per month, now it's above 30 or more than that. So I think this is a clear indication of an acceleration."
According to the IAEA, about 42 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium is enough to create one nuclear bomb, if enriched further. And Grossi added that Iran already has about 200 kilograms enriched to 60%.
Meanwhile, Western intelligence officials are warning that two Iranian ships carrying a chemical ingredient needed to produce missile propellant will sail from China to Iran over the next few weeks.
The 1000 tons of sodium perchlorate, enough to produce fuel for 260 medium-range missiles, are being sent to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Iran.
"Since the early 1990s, China has assisted the Iranian military extensively with its ballistic missile development program and has provided expertise, technology, parts, and training," said Dennis Wilder, a former CIA China analyst. "China's motivation for secretly assisting Iran today includes clandestinely helping Iran produce missiles for the Russian war effort [in Ukraine]... and Beijing's purchase annually of large amounts of discounted Iranian crude oil."
Iran is deepening its ties with China and Russia while dangerously advancing its nuclear program.
The United States must work together with our allies, including Israel, to address these shared threats to global and regional security. America must fully enforce economic sanctions on the Iranian regime and ensure Israel has the resources and support needed to protect its citizens from Iran and its terror proxies.
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COMING HOME - with Yossi Klein Halevi & Wendy Singer
Dan Senor Call Me Back Podcast
Dan Senor is joined by Yossi Klein Halevi and Wendy Singer to discuss the release of Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher from Hamas captivity in Gaza, the fate of the remaining hostages, and how Israelis are feeling about the hostage-ceasefire agreement.
New op-ed: The U.S. can learn from Israel about countering tunnels
John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point, writes in a new op-ed that the United States can learn lessons from Israel about countering the threat of tunnels.
"On Jan. 10, a [cartel] tunnel was discovered beneath the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso. Two weeks before that, a tunnel was uncovered near Arizona, the third such tunnel found in the Yuma area within the past year. These latest discoveries reinforce a crucial lesson for the United States from conflicts worldwide: No matter how advanced, aboveground defenses often drive adversaries to seek alternate routes underground..."
"Israel provides a blueprint for dealing with such underground threats. After suffering years of cross-border attacks by Hamas through tunnels, Israel undertook a massive project to create an underground wall along its Gaza border, using advanced detection technologies and engineering solutions..."
"Similarly, Hezbollah has built and used tunnels in Lebanon and Syria, forcing Israel to constantly adapt its countermeasures. The United States and Israel have partnered for almost a decade on tunnel detection and anti-tunneling capabilities, but Washington is still playing catch-up in applying these lessons to its southern border. This needs to change."
Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) speaks on the Senate floor in support of the hostages
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