Iran announced a breakthrough in its nuclear program that could bring it the bomb in a year.
Iranian media on Sunday quoted President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying the country is running more than 3,000 centrifuges for enriching uranium, with additional units being added each week.
Experts believe that such a number of centrifuges could provide enough fissile material for an atomic bomb within about a year. But there have been doubts raised about the veracity of Iran’s claims regarding progress in its nuclear program, as well as the efficiency of the equipment being used.
Ahmadinejad’s announcement looked likely to fuel U.S. demands for Security Council sanctions against Tehran to be toughened up. There has also been widespread speculation that the Bush administration, or Israel, could mount military strikes against Iran if its nuclear program is deemed too far advanced.
