Blinken: Iran Back to Point Where it Could Produce Fissile Material For Nuclear Weapon

 Antony Blinken speaks during his confirmation hearing to be secretary of state before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on January 19, 2021 in Washington, DC. (AFP)
Antony Blinken speaks during his confirmation hearing to be secretary of state before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on January 19, 2021 in Washington, DC. (AFP)
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Blinken: Iran Back to Point Where it Could Produce Fissile Material For Nuclear Weapon

 Antony Blinken speaks during his confirmation hearing to be secretary of state before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on January 19, 2021 in Washington, DC. (AFP)
Antony Blinken speaks during his confirmation hearing to be secretary of state before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on January 19, 2021 in Washington, DC. (AFP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Tuesday that Iran is now getting back to that point where it could produce fissile material for a weapon on very short order.

He also said that the administration of President Joe Biden has made a clear commitment to re-engage in diplomacy to return to the Nuclear Deal.

“Before the (2015) agreement, Iran was speeding toward the day when it would have the ability to produce enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon on very short order. At the time we reached the agreement, it was getting down toward weeks,” Blinken reaffirmed.

However, he noted that Washington, along with its allies and partners, are also prepared to take strong action as necessary against some of the things Iran does, referring to Tehran’s regional activities and the development of ballistic missiles.

The new US Secretary of state was speaking Tuesday during an interview with Hillary Clinton, who said that negotiations are difficult and time-consuming, adding that in the Iran agreement, the US got a long way towards stopping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, all of which was then thrown out the window by the Trump administration.

Former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and re-imposed crippling sanctions on Iran.

Blinken said the US has an interest in putting the Nuclear Deal back in a box and then seeing if Washington can actually build something even longer and stronger in terms of the duration of the agreement.

“We’re a long way from getting back to where we were. We don’t know what Iran will do or won’t do. But I think that it offers at least the possibility of dealing with the nuclear problem and then hopefully dealing with some of the other problems,” the US official said.



Türkiye Jails 18 More Istanbul Municipal Officials

People gather outdoors following an earthquake shock with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
People gather outdoors following an earthquake shock with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
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Türkiye Jails 18 More Istanbul Municipal Officials

People gather outdoors following an earthquake shock with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
People gather outdoors following an earthquake shock with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

A Turkish court has jailed pending trial 18 employees of the Istanbul municipality on corruption charges, state-owned Anadolu and other media reported on Wednesday, amid a crackdown on the opposition and the city's jailed mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
Imamoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival who leads him in polls, was jailed in March pending trial over corruption charges. He also faces charges of aiding a terrorist group.
The mayor has denied all charges, and his arrest triggered the largest protests in a decade, economic turmoil and accusations of a politicized judiciary. The government rejects those claims and says the judiciary is independent.
According to Reuters, Broadcaster NTV said 34 of the total 52 people who were detained at the weekend under the investigation were released with judicial restrictions.
Turkish media had reported on Saturday that authorities detained dozens of Istanbul municipality employees as part of legal probes focused around Imamoglu, expanding a crackdown on the main opposition that began late last year.
Those detained included the municipality's secretary general, Imamoglu's chief of staff, the chairman and deputy chairman of the municipality's water and sewerage administration (ISKI), as well as a department head at ISKI.