Military Intelligence head Amos Yadlin spoke to the cabinet on Monday, discussing among other things the Iranian nuclear program. Iran's program is likely to be adversely affected by the economic situation in the country, he said.
Iran's economy is in crisis, Yadlin explained, due to soaring inflation and unemployment as well as the global economic crisis. The crisis is likely to slow nuclear development in the country, he said.
Iranian leaders continue to pursue nuclear weapons, he said, but are taking a cautious route. Iran is enriching uranium, but has avoided openly pursuing nuclear weapons in order to avoid further sanctions.
Yadlin warned that even while taking cautions to avoid international backlash, Iran is coming closer to nuclear capability. Once Iran possesses a sufficient quantity of uranium, the transition to building an atomic bomb will be rapid, he said.
Yadlin also informed the cabinet of the latest assessments regarding Hizbullah, Hamas and Syria. Hizbullah is cautious, but remains determined to attack Israel, he said, particularly following the assassination of senior Hizbullah terrorist Imad Mughniyeh.
Hamas is maintaining a ceasefire in the south, Yadlin said, but has guided splinter groups that continue to fire rockets on Israel.
Syria is hoping to gain acceptance in the West, but continues to ally with Iran and provide assistance to Iran and Hizbullah, he told the ministers.