Why am I so unimpressed by these strikes? Israel and the US have failed to target significant elements of Iran's nuclear materials and production infrastructure. RISING LION and MIDNIGHT HAMMER are tactically brilliant, but may turn out to be strategic failures. https://x.com/ArmsControlWonk/status/1936955686174466551
Netanyahu's justification for conducting this strike was that "Iran has produced enough highly enriched uranium for nine atom bombs -- nine." He refers to Iran's stockpile of ~400 kg of 60% U-235 which, if further enriched, would be enough for 9-10 weapons. Let's consider.
The 400 kg of HEU was largely stored in underground tunnels near the Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facility. Despite extensive Israeli and US attacks the facility, there does not seem to have been any effort to destroy these tunnels or the material that was in them https://x.com/ArmsControlWonk/status/1936955689680949746
Trucks also showed up at the Fordow FEP the day before the strike, possibly to relocate sensitive equipment, and certainly to cover those entrances with dirt. Iran just isn't a no-drive zone at the moment. https://x.com/ArmsControlWonk/status/1936955697302048845
To be fair, some Trumpkins acknowledge Iran still has the material. @JDVance
says they're going to "have conversations with the Iranians about" it. The talking point is that the US has knocked out Iran's ability to further enrich it and convert it to metal, so its fine. https://x.com/ArmsControlWonk/status/1936955708614082833
IT'S NOT FINE. Yes, the strikes on the enrichment plants at Qom (Fordow FEP) and Natanz (PFEP and FEP) appear successful. But there has been no effort to strike the enormous underground facility next to Natanz where Iran can make more centrifuges and maybe do other things. https://x.com/ArmsControlWonk/status/1936955711763935527
In 2022, Iran moved a centrifuge production line to "the heart of the mountain" there. This facility is huge -- we estimated 10,000 m2 or more -- and we don't really know what else it might house (like enrichment or conversion). https://x.com/ArmsControlWonk/status/1936955714729378025
Also, Iran recently announced a "new enrichment facility in a secure location" and told the @iaeait was ready to start installing centrifuges. The@iaeawas set to inspect the facility, near Isfahan, before the bombing. It hasn't been bombed AFAIK. https://x.com/ArmsControlWonk/status/1936955716621017100
Let me say again: Iran said it had a new enrichment facility. The@iaeaorg
was about to go see it. But before that could happen, Israel struck other facilities in Iran -- but not the new one. See the problem?
This means Iran has retained 400 kg of 60% HEU, the ability to manufacture centrifuges, and one, possibly two underground enrichment sites. That is also to say nothing of possible secret sites, which opponents of the JCPOA used to invoke all the freaking time.
Let's say Iran decides to rush a bomb. Iran can install ~1.5 cascades a week. In six weeks, it could have 9 cascades of IR-6 machines. It would take those machines about 60 days to enrich all 400 kg to WGU. Altogether that's about five months although IMMV.
Look, I get it. Watching bombers conduct an >11,000 km precision bombing raid is awesome. I am the sort of wierdo who happily read a 528 page book about the first Black Buck raid of the Falklands War in 1982. I really do get it.
But what does it say of two of the most amazing military operations in modern memory are still unable to fully eliminate Iran's nuclear program? I think that's proof that this is tactical brilliance may be in service of a foolhardy strategy.
RISING LION and MIDNIGHT HAMMER have not slowed the Iranian program nearly as much as the JCPOA. We hold diplomacy to much higher standards than bombing. The same people who endlessly complained about the JCPOA "sunsetting" are now happy to delay Iran's bomb by much less.
This is why I said the strike is about regime change. As late as May, @DefenseIntel
said Iran had not restarted its nuclear weapons program. When asked about that, @marcorubio
said intel was "irrelevant." It's only irrelevant if the problem is the regime, not the program.
We ought to judge this strike by its real purpose, not the legal camouflage of preemptive self-defense. If the strike leaves the current regime, or something very much like it, in power with a nuclear option then it will have been a strategic failure. https://x.com/ArmsControlWonk/status/1936955731686875534
...even if Iran decides not to retaliate, Israel (and US) are both unlikely to end if the mission is not yet completed, when it is determined that Iran remains in possession of enriched uranium hidden elsewhere.
...while the world looks to see what Iran does next, it remains aloof as to whether Israel is prepared to cease fire if Iran stops. They did not in Gaza despite overwhelming loss by Hamas.
...while we call for Iran to de-escalate and not retaliate, they can't stop despite wanting to because the other side won't.
...to complete the mission, both may have already determined that a regime change is necessary. They just won't admit it, though the POTUS did intimate such possibility.
