What a bizarro world take. "Iran totally wasn't going for the bomb (pinky promise), but NOW they will. So destroying their nuclear facilities actually made Iranian nukes more likely."
I'll give you that we don't know the extent of the damage dealt, and whether they were able to bring away the uranium they already had. Still... even if were able to save their enriched uranium, enriching it further (to reach critical levels) won't be possible without the corresponding facilities - and those were definintely damaged badly (if not outright destroyed).
Its not a bizarre take. In the early 2000's, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a fatwa stating that the production, stockpiling, and use of nuclear weapons are
forbidden under Islamic law. While Benjamin Netanyahu has for 30 years said Iran was months/few years away from getting a Nuke, the reality is Iran does not have Nukes, even after 30 years, even though it has a decades long nuclear program. Reputable sources, including those aligned with Israeli perspectives, confirm that Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued this fatwa (religious decree) banning the development and use of nuclear weapons. This fatwa has been publicly acknowledged and cited in various international forums.
This is an International Israel website:
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/khamenei-adviser-says-iran-will-have-no-choice-but-to-get-nuclear-weapon-if-attacked/ and you can read about what Iran's leaders are currently mulling over. These questions are being discussed widely with International observers looking on to see where this goes.
This post was edited by ferdia on Jun 24 2025 09:14am