Iran ‘bent to nuclear weapons pressure’

IRAN halted its nuclear weapons development programme in 2003 under international pressure but is continuing to enrich uranium, which means it may still be able to develop a weapon between 2010 and 2015, senior intelligence officials said yesterday.

That finding, in a new National Intelligence Estimate on Iran, is a change from two years ago, when US intelligence agencies believed Tehran was determined to develop a nuclear capability and was continuing its weapons development programme. It suggests Iran is susceptible to diplomatic pressure, the official said.

“Tehran’s decision to halt its nuclear weapons programme suggests it is less determined to develop nuclear weapons than we have been judging since 2005,” states the unclassified summary of the secret report, released last night.