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Iran's nuclear program advancing faster than thought?

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    New intel reporting from region

  • Duration 4:48
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Fox News alert a disturbing new report on Iran's nuclear intentions.

A major Israeli newspaper reports the rogue nation has made more progress on developing components for a nuclear weapon than previously thought.

Ambassador John Bolton joins us.

-- US ambassador to the United Nations and a Fox News contributor thank you for joining us ambassador.

Good morning western diplomats say five countries have this new intelligence the US Britain France Germany and Israel and all have reportedly reached the same conclusion that Iran has made greater progress than we earlier thought so based on these reports.

How close do you think Iran is.

Well I think they're very very close to that being able to weaponized.

The rain they have doing -- at the next step up the weapons grade and the weaponized it.

You know it's an amazing pattern of western intelligence agencies constantly being surprised by new information.

Obviously the Iran -- have -- this all along and it reflects the reason why they're not impressed by western economic sanctions.

They are very close they're not only close they continued to develop a very broad and deep.

Nuclear weapons program and I think it reflects their confidence that they're gonna be able to continue this work without real challenge from the west.

So Defense Secretary Panetta as you know last week asked Israel to be patient with these sanctions he did also say the military option is on the table.

If the sanctions don't work so does this new intelligence speed up the timetable for moving to a possible military strike.

Well remember this is Panetta after this assessment.

Has been reach some months ago saying that.

You know unfortunately the Obama administration has no credibility when it says in its casual offhand way all options are on the table the Israelis don't believe them.

The Iran in regime doesn't believe -- that's why the pressures on Israel.

To make a decision whether it will use military force Israel would certainly prefer.

That the United States take the lead given our enormously bigger capabilities.

But I just don't think that's gonna happen in the Obama administration and I don't think anybody seriously thinks that plans are no plans that the president would order such an attack.

Well this report says Iran's revolutionary guard has a new team of sixteen nuclear scientists working at a base near Tehran.

They're working on warheads and detonators.

And Iran's defence minister recently said that if Israel attacked Iran it would just be suicide.

For Israel so if Israel and -- the United States struck Iran what type of response would you expect from Iran.

Well you never can tell what the arrives we'll do I think there's a certain amount of irrationality.

There I think the most likely response would be.

To -- has a lot to attack Israel because it provides a certain element of distance I don't think Iran.

Would seriously try to close the Strait of Hormuz or attack.

US forces deployed in the Persian gulf because that really would unleash a full American retaliatory strike I think it's a lot easier.

To go after Israel but it's also why the Israelis have been concerned four for this.

Possibility for so many years because the cost of them are potentially enormous and yet.

The cost of an Iran with nuclear weapons is even greater the regime continuously saying it wants to wipe Israel off the face of the map.

Obviously once Iran gets nuclear weapons you can marry that intention with the new capability.

Yeah just again reiterating those comments Iran last week commented John so Mitt Romney recently asked the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

If he's concerned.

That an Israeli attack on Iran would just.

Unite the Iranians in the wrong way Netanyahu said no it would strengthen the opposition and he used -- gun dot.

As an example in 1976 when -- -- -- was toppled you agree with that comparison.

Yeah I think it's an important point you know those who say under no circumstances should the United States or Israel destroy the Iran in nuclear weapons program say that it would simply rallied the Iran -- people around the regime I don't think that's inevitable at all.

Think the Iran -- people are actually a lot smarter than that they don't like this regime it's unpopular the young people don't like it.

It's been a failure economically and and for a variety of other reasons.

A well laid out information campaign that makes it clear that what's being struck or illicit nuclear weapons facilities.

I think could help precipitate the fall of the regime and that ought to be part of any.

Strategy to go after the nuclear weapons program too that's not the end of this regime is a threat weather has nuclear weapons or not it's long been the world's central banker for international terrorism.

And our policy should be regime change in Tehran right ambassador John Bolton thank you life.

Thank you.

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