Two major press leaks indicate that Iran could be much closer to building a nuclear weapon than experts previously thought. On October 4, the New York Times published an article stating that the International Atomic Energy Agency (iaea) reported that Iran has “sufficient information to be able to design and produce a workable” nuclear bomb. The article also said that America was re-examining its conclusion in the 2007 National Intelligence Estimate that Iran was not working toward building a nuclear bomb.

On the same day, the Times of London published an even more striking report, stating that the purpose of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “secret” visit to Russia on September 7 was to give the Kremlin a list of Russian experts alleged to be working on the Iranian weapons program.

If this leak is true, the ramifications could be huge. George Friedman, geopolitics expert and head of think tank Stratfor, wrote in his weekly intelligence brief that “There were many, including Stratfor, who felt that Iran did not have the non-nuclear disciplines needed for rapid progress toward a nuclear device.” Stratfor had previously stated that Iran did not have the technology to create a nuclear weapon small and robust enough to fit on a nuclear missile. However, “the presence of Russian personnel in Iran,” wrote Friedman October 5, “would mean that the Iranians had obtained the needed expertise from the Russians.” Friedman’s article can be found here, and is worth reading.

If these two leaks are right, Iran would be now much closer to building a nuclear bomb than Stratfor and others previously thought.

Both Stratfor and Israeli sources cited by the Times state that Russian scientists could not be working in Iran without the Kremlin’s approval. The Kremlin, however, has denied the report, stating that Russia was not aware of any Russians or Russian companies aiding Iran’s nuclear program.

Both these leaks come shortly after the discovery of a uranium enrichment plant built under a mountain near Qom. The plant has room for 3,000 centrifuges—which could produce enough material to construct one bomb a year.

If the Russians are helping Iran—which is likely, as the Times is known as a reliable paper that accepts leaks only from certified sources—then Iran could be very close to building a deliverable nuclear bomb. For what this would mean for the world, read our article “Nuclear Iran Means Nuclear War” by Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry.