Exclusive Associated Press: 'Iran's Timeframe for Achieving Nuclear Weapons Reduced to 6 Months After 11 to 13 Years of JCPOA Implementation'

The Associated Press reported on Tuesday evening that it has obtained a document related to Iran's nuclear agreement, indicating that by easing key restrictions on Iran's nuclear program, the time required for Iran to achieve nuclear weapons will be halved in just over a decade. The AP claims that this document is the only confidential annex to last year's nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers, and according to it, after 11 to 13 years, Iran could replace over five thousand of its 'inefficient centrifuges' with three thousand five hundred more advanced machines. The report concludes that since the efficiency of the new devices is five times that of the current ones, the time Iran would need to produce nuclear weapons would decrease from one year to six months. The AP noted that the new document was provided to the agency by a seasoned diplomat, and another diplomat confirmed its authenticity, but both diplomats requested to remain anonymous due to restrictions on disclosure. One of these diplomats, who has focused on Iran's nuclear program for over a decade, stated that this document was prepared separately from the nuclear agreement but stems from a part of it. He also mentioned that both Iran and the six negotiating powers with Iran, namely the U.S., Russia, China, Germany, France, and the UK, signed this document. Another diplomat who had access to the confidential document confirmed its content in discussions with the AP. The AP further referenced statements from U.S. officials who said that the nuclear agreement was structured to ensure that Iran is at least 12 months away from obtaining the uranium needed to produce a nuclear bomb. However, based on the AP's calculations, although the number of replacement centrifuges is less than Iran's current devices, due to their higher efficiency, the time required to secure the uranium necessary for building a nuclear bomb is reduced from one year to six months or even less. Iran has long claimed that it pursues uranium enrichment for peaceful purposes, but as the AP also points out, Iran's nuclear program could also be used to build nuclear weapons. The AP's report comes as U.S. President and Secretary of State reiterated in recent days, coinciding with the anniversary of the Vienna nuclear agreement, that this agreement has pushed back Iran's nuclear program and made the world safer. However, this agreement has also faced criticism; both from figures in the U.S. Congress who have recently proposed three new plans to counter the implementation of the JCPOA, and from experts who, despite agreeing with the JCPOA, believe that it would have been better if the restrictions on Iran's nuclear program had been longer.