Iran has obtained enough material to manufacture a nuclear bomb, United States Joint Chiefs of Staff director Admiral Mike Mullen told CNN Sunday. Asked if Tehran has enough uranium for a bomb, he answered, “We think they do, quite frankly.”
Mullen added, "Iran having a nuclear weapon, I believe, for a long time, is a very, very bad outcome for the region and for the world." However, he made no comments on a military strike aimed at damaging or destroying the nuclear reactor.
Two weeks ago, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran had stockpiled fuel, which Israel has warned for years will be used for a nuclear weapon against Israel and Europe. Iran claims the reactor is only for electricity.
The United States has rejected the idea of an Israeli-led military attack and has relied on United Nations economic sanctions, which have not stopped Iran’s development of the reactor. Last week, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad invited foreign journalists for a dry run of the Bushehr nuclear reactor that has been built with a massive injection of money and technology from Russia and China.
Mullen visited Israel twice in the last year, prompting speculation that he discussed the issue with Israel. Several unconfirmed reports have stated that the U.S. has stonewalled an Israeli proposal for an attack on the reactor.
One reason against a military strike is concern that it would not destroy the reactor, which is buried deep underground underneath concrete fortification. The American government also fears that an attack could spawn an all-out war in the Middle East.