The IDF revealed Friday that Iran has been advancing a secret nuclear weapons program, as the military launched Operation Rising Lion, a major offensive targeting Iran’s long-range missile and nuclear capabilities.
According to the IDF, senior Iranian nuclear scientists have been working covertly to develop a complete weapons system, bringing Tehran significantly closer to building its first nuclear bomb. “In recent months, this program has accelerated significantly, bringing the regime significantly closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon,” the IDF said in a statement. As part of the operation, Israel says it has eliminated dozens of senior Iranian officials.
International Atomic Energy Agency reports on Iran's advancement toward a nuclear weapon
(Video: IDF)
Alongside the announcement, the military released graphics, documents and images from the Iranian nuclear archive exposed in 2018, as well as a video summarizing findings by the International Atomic Energy Agency that corroborate Iran’s nuclear progress.
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Recent intelligence indicates that Iran has produced thousands of kilograms of enriched uranium and moved its enrichment infrastructure to hardened, underground facilities designed to withstand attacks. “[This capability] enables the Iranian regime to enrich uranium to military-grade levels, enabling the regime to obtain a nuclear weapon within a short period of time,” the statement added.
The IDF said there has also been significant progress in the engineering and development of nuclear weapon components. “In recent years, and more so since the beginning of the war, concrete progress has been identified in the Iranian regime's efforts to produce weapons components adapted for a nuclear bomb," the military said.
While the program has existed for decades, the IDF claims it has advanced substantially in recent years—especially since the onset of the war in Gaza. “The world has attempted every possible diplomatic path to stop it, but the regime has refused to stop,” the statement said. “The State of Israel has been left with no choice. The IDF has the obligation to act in defense of the civilians of Israel and will continue to do so."