(February 17, 2023 / JNS) For all intents and purposes, the Iranian nuclear deal, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is dead.

In December, Iranian officials said they had doubled their capacity to enrich uranium. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) monitoring cameras were shut down by the regime last May, and IAEA inspectors have been banned from checking on the program. IAEA officials say Iran has enriched 154 pounds of uranium to 60% purity. According to the head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, that is enough to produce several weapons.

Iran can now enrich its uranium stockpile to 90%, which is weapons-grade, within a few weeks. After that, the regime only needs to place the enriched uranium in a warhead and run a nuclear test to join the league of nuclear rogue states like Russia and North Korea. 

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Wednesday, February 22, 2023, 12 PM ET

Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Iran and Russia have increased their military and economic cooperation. Late last year, Moscow reached an agreement with Tehran to open a manufacturing plant on Russian soil. Iran in turn is set to receive a number of Russian Sukhoi 35 fighter jets that are able to break the sound barrier in March. Many speculate that Russia will also sell Iran their S-400 air defense system that can track stealth F-35 fighter jets. With heavy Russian and Iranian influence on Israel’s borders in Syria and Lebanon, Jerusalem sees this as a major threat. What does this changing dynamic mean for Israel and how should it respond?

Join Alex Grinberg, an expert on Iran, Russia, and the Arab world, as he examines Iran’s nuclear threat, the relationship between Iran and Russia, the current status of the war in Ukraine, and what it all means for Israel.
 

About the Speaker: Alex Grinberg is an expert on Iran and Islamist movements. He holds an M.A. in Arabic Language and Literature. He is fluent in Farsi, Arabic, French, English, Russian, and Hebrew. Alex’s main research interest is Iranian intellectual history and modern Shi’a thought. He teaches Persian at Ariel University. Alex held several positions in the IDF military intelligence research department (AMAN). He is currently employed as a geopolitical and intelligence analyst in private firms. Alex was born in Moscow and is hence fluent in Russian and vested in Russian affairs