Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Could Produce a Nuclear Bomb in 16 Days

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad raises his fists after deliving a speech. The US government urged the UN Security Council to take action following Iran ‘s announced breakthrough in its nuclear program, raising the threat of possible sanctions despite Chinese and Russian reluctance.

Bloomberg.com: Iran Could Produce Nuclear Bomb in 16 Days, U.S. Says (Update2)

Iran, defying United Nations Security Council demands to halt its nuclear program, may be capable of making a nuclear bomb within 16 days, a U.S. State Department official said.

Iran will move to “industrial scale” uranium enrichment involving 54,000 centrifuges at its Natanz plant, the Associated Press quoted deputy nuclear chief Mohammad Saeedi as telling state-run television today.

“Using those 50,000 centrifuges they could produce enough highly enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon in 16 days,” Stephen Rademaker, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation, told reporters today in Moscow.

Now, Iran reportedly has only 164 centrifuges. But, what if they have more underground and clandestine enrichment has been occuring while Iran has been stalling the IAEA and the United Nations Security Council?

Is the POINT OF NO RETURN imminent for the United States and Israel?

Iran has informed the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency that it plans to construct 3,000 centrifuges at Natanz next year, Rademaker said.

“We calculate that a 3,000-machine cascade could produce enough uranium to build a nuclear weapon within 271 days,” he said.

Flap handicaps a military operation is within weeks unless Iran immediately STANDS DOWN their uranium enrichment program.

Stay tuned…..