Israel’s Military Intelligence chief: Iran still years away from nuclear bomb

While Iran has made significant progress with enriching uranium, other aspects of its program are still lagging behind, Maj.-Gen. Tamir Hayman explained. 

By Tobias Siegal, World Israel News

Israel’s Military Intelligence chief Maj.-Gen. Tamir Hayman said over the weekend that Iran is still years away from acquiring a nuclear bomb.

In a special interview given to Walla News and Channel 12, Hayman said that according to most current estimations, Iran is at least two years away from a bomb.

His comments were made as recent reports have indicated that Iran is actually accelerating its nuclear program and the West grows increasingly concerned about Iran delaying negotiations and preventing UN inspection of its nuclear sites.

According to Hayman, while Iran has made significant progress with enriching uranium, other aspects of its program are still lagging behind, indicating that a functioning bomb that could threaten Israel is not a feasible option for the near future.

Israel’s intelligence community does not believe that Iran is “pushing for a bomb” right now, Hayman stated. Crossing the boundary would make Iran a global issue, and not a local one that primarily concerns Israel, and Iran knows that, he explained.

Hayman, who has served as Israel’s Military Intelligence chief for over three and a half years, said that “on a personnel level, the job has made [him] extremely ‘anti-Iranian.’

“I believe that the [Iranian] regime must fall, its existence is not good for the State of Israel. And It will eventually fall, we just need to accelerate the process,” he concluded, reiterating Prime Minister Bennett’s call to arms against Iran during his first-ever speech to the UN General Assembly on Monday.

Last month, reports indicated that Israel and the U.S. were holding secret discussions over a “Plan B” in case talks with Iran fail, with Israeli officials noting that additional U.S. sanctions were on the table.