Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — The United States has significantly changed its
assessment on Iran’s nuclear weapons capabilities.

Officials said the U.S. intelligence community now believes Iran is
capable of nuclear weapons assembly based on its capacity to enrich uranium
and develop a warhead. They said the assessment envisioned the prospect of
producing Iranian nuclear warheads in 2012.

“It would probably be about a year before they can do it,” Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said. “Perhaps a little less.”

In a television interview on Dec. 19, Panetta provided an assessment that differed sharply from the U.S. community since 2007. For the last few years, the intelligence community said Iran ended its nuclear weapons program in 2003 and was not expected to be capable of nuclear weapons before 2015.

Panetta said Iran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon was based on the operation of a secret uranium enrichment facility. The secretary did not elaborate, but officials said Panetta’s assessment echoed that of Israeli intelligence.

“The United States does not want Iran to develop a nuclear weapon,” Panetta said. “That’s a red line for us and that’s a red line, obviously, for the Israelis. If we have to do it we will deal with it.”

Officials said the intelligence community changed its assessment of
Iran’s nuclear weapons program over the last year. They said intelligence
assessments, including those of the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency,
warned of new Iranian capabilities in uranium enrichment, warhead design and
testing.

Still, the Pentagon, maintaining that the secretary was discussing a
hypothetical situation, denied that Panetta’s remarks represented a revision
of the U.S. intelligence assessment on Iran. But a Pentagon spokesman
stressed that Panetta was not speaking off the cuff when he referred to
Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

“The secretary is always responsible when discussing important national
security matters,” Pentagon spokesman George Little said. “His comments on
Iran have been both nuanced and forthright.”

Panetta, however, did not rule out the prospect that Iran could decide
to stop its weapons program. The defense secretary, who has expressed
opposition to a military strike, said Washington would act should the
intelligence community rule that Teheran was continuing the nuclear program.

“We will take whatever steps necessary to stop it,” Panetta said. “There
are no options off the table.”

  Defense Intelligence Agency, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, George Little, nuclear Iran, Panetta comments signal shift in U.S. intel assessment on Iran, Pentagon