Axios: The U.S. Warns Iran About Suspicious Nuclear Activities

The Axios news website reported, citing three American and Israeli officials, that the Biden administration sent a confidential message to Iran last month warning about nuclear research and activities that could be used to produce nuclear weapons, emphasizing that there are serious concerns in this regard. The report, published on Wednesday, July 18, states that both the United States and Israel have encountered suspicious cases of Iran's nuclear activities in recent months. U.S. and Israeli officials are concerned that these activities may be part of the Islamic Republic's covert plan to take steps toward producing nuclear weapons during the busy months leading up to the U.S. presidential elections. According to Axios, U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies, as well as officials from both countries, have consulted and collaborated to understand Iran's activities and to determine whether there have been changes in the nuclear policies of Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. The report states that the Biden administration communicated its concerns about Iran's nuclear activities to Iranian officials through a third country as well as through direct channels a few weeks ago. According to U.S. officials, the Iranians responded to the Biden administration's message, providing explanations about these nuclear activities and emphasizing that there has been no change in Iran's policy and that the Islamic Republic does not intend to acquire nuclear weapons. Axios adds that this exchange of messages and information obtained by the United States and Israel alleviated some concerns and somewhat reduced worries about Iran's recent research and nuclear development activities. One U.S. official stated that the message sent by the Biden administration to Iran was effective, but serious concerns about Iran's nuclear program still exist. The White House rejected the resumption of nuclear negotiations after the Iranian elections. The official stated, 'We do not see any indication that Iran is currently taking key actions necessary for building nuclear weapons.' This U.S. official added, 'We take any action by Iran that escalates nuclear tensions extremely seriously, and as President Biden has noted, we are committed to ensuring that Iran never obtains nuclear weapons, and we are prepared to use all of our national capabilities to ensure that this does not happen.' Axios further reports: 'U.S. and Israeli intelligence services obtained information around March indicating that Iranian scientists were engaged in computer modeling and metallurgical research that could be used to develop nuclear weapons.' Based on this report, the purpose of this computer modeling was unclear, and some U.S. and Israeli officials believed it was evidence of Iran's nuclear ambitions, while others did not see it as indicative of a change in Iran's policy and strategy. Iran has always denied accusations of attempting to produce nuclear weapons. However, Kamal Kharrazi, a senior advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, warned in May that 'if Iran's existence is threatened, it may reconsider its nuclear doctrine.'