Despite the declarations and posturing, the United States is NOT preventing Iran from making a nuclear weapon. The Mullahs have increased their level of making weapon quality Uranium (much more concentrated than what is needed for civilian applications) and current estimates are that Iran already has enough to manufacture at least 2 nuclear weapons. Having the material does not yet mean they have a bomb, but it is obvious that they have sufficient knowledge to take that step.
Making a nuclear weapon and making it deliverable are also two different things. But it has been demonstrated that Iran can attack distant targets with conventional ordnance. Iranian long range missiles may not yet have the range to threaten America, or even Europe. But they do threaten neighboring states like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and, especially, Israel. From various media reports it is clear that Israel has been waging a “shadow war” to try and actually do what the USA keeps promising. People associated with arms limitation are certainly aware of Iranian progress in this field. Unfortunately, no one seems to be paying it much attention. When Soviet-American rivalry was at a dangerous peak the “Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists” put a clock on their cover with the hands showing one minute to twelve. The entire world needs to make such a statement now.
Instead of diplomatic talks the countries trying to talk sense to Iran need to immediately apply severe sanctions. If they don’t, Iran, like North Korea, will become a member of the nuclear club. The aforementioned arms limitation people need to target Iran. They need to do it now, before Iranian actions reach the point where Israel may feel forced to make a preemptive strike.
I should also add that Iran is governed by Shi’a Muslim clerics. The Shi’ite version of Islam strongly supports a doctrine called Taqqiya. Taqqiya is a loophole that allows Muslims to lie in order to save their lives. That’s the way it is interpreted in most of Islam. Shi’ites take it a bit further. Lying, especially to non-muslims, is both permitted, and even encouraged, to achieve an ultimate aim of spreading Islamic rule throughout the world. The implications contained in that statement when a country is controlled by representatives of such a doctrine ought to be frightening to everyone. I know it is to me.
Wetherhorn 