PNN – The former US secretary of state said it is too early to judge the success of an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, warning that Tehran may rebuild them even more effectively than before.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an interview with CNN that he continues to believe the US attack on Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities was a mistake.
He expressed doubt about the effectiveness of the US strike on Iran’s nuclear sites, saying: Although I hope the attack was successful, I think it is still too early to make a judgment.
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Referring to the signing of the JCPOA during the administration of former President Barack Obama, Blinken said the agreement placed Iran’s nuclear program within strict limits and ensured that Iran would not be able to produce sufficient material for a nuclear weapon for a relatively long period.
Blinken described the verifiability of Iran’s nuclear activities as one of the key advantages of the JCPOA, adding that if Iran chose to violate the agreement and move toward producing material needed for a nuclear weapon, it would be detected and a response could be taken.
He said the JCPOA bought at least a decade, and possibly 15 to 20 years, of time, noting that although some of its provisions were set to expire gradually, there was the possibility of extending them.
The former foreign minister under President Joe Biden said that eliminating Iran’s nuclear capability had also been an objective of that administration, adding: We had exactly the same thinking or opportunity. We were determined to address this problem.
Blinken described the choice between reaching an agreement with Iran or bombing its nuclear facilities as a choice between bad and worse, saying the main question was what the best approach was. He said the problem with bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities was that even if it delayed the program by one or two years, Iran could decide to rebuild it deeper underground and in inaccessible locations, creating an even worse problem years later.
He added that a diplomatic agreement would buy 10, 15, or 20 years and preserve the option of using force in the future if necessary. Therefore, it is still not possible to say with certainty whether the attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities was successful, because it is unclear what decision Iran will make.
The American diplomat said he hopes Iran will conclude that it should not pursue a nuclear program, but warned that he fears it may instead rebuild the program in a more dangerous form.