Iran working on secret ‘shortcut’ to nuclear bomb, report says

Sources said this intelligence was gathered in recent months under former U.S. president Joe Biden’s administration and passed to incumbent President Donal Trump’s incoming national security team. The assessment warned that Iranian engineers and scientists are seeking a “shortcut” to turn their growing stockpile of nuclear fuel into a functional weapon within months.

According to the American outlet, Iran has the knowledge to develop a crude nuclear weapon using an outdated but faster method. Such a weapon wouldn’t be small enough for a ballistic missile and would likely be unreliable, making it less suitable for an immediate attack.

However, officials warned that Iran could quickly develop a basic device, conduct a test and declare itself a nuclear power. While such a weapon might not be effective against Israel, it could serve as a deterrent.

In a previous Fox News interview, Trump stressed that Iran “cannot have nuclear weapons.” The Financial Times recently reported that Trump was open to diplomatic solutions before increasing pressure on Tehran.

A former senior Israeli official told the paper, “I don’t see the Trump administration using force early on without at least trying other approaches. That doesn’t align with his stance that wars started under Biden and that he’s going to end them.”

He acknowledged the economic burden of sanctions but denied Tehran’s involvement in the activities of Hamas, Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis, saying, “We’ve never had proxies.” Meanwhile, Saudi news outlet Al-Hadath reported that Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed willingness to negotiate with the U.S.