(Israel Hayom-JNS) Lt.-Col. (ret.) Michael Segall interviewed by Yaakov Lappin - Iran expert Lt.-Col. (ret.) Michael Segall, a senior analyst at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, says becoming a nuclear-armed state is a central aspect of Iran's "Shi'ite revival" mindset. "They believe in the Shi'ite revival. It's important to grasp the importance they attach to this goal....The Iranians feel they have Divine intervention helping them." "The nuclear program is the anchor that would allow Iran to position itself in the role that it has defined for itself. Becoming a nuclear state would influence all of Iran's tentacles in the region....The Iranians feel they are succeeding." The Islamic Republic would like to extend a nuclear umbrella over its regionwide activities and those of its proxies, he said. "Iran's bottom line is that it wants to become a nuclear-armed state or a nuclear breakout state." The way Iran managed negotiations with world powers leading to the 2015 nuclear deal was part of a "highly organized" push to eventually reach that objective. It's the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, and the IRGC who decide this policy. "The Supreme Leader is growing stronger within the country. The election of Ebrahim Raisi as president is bringing the Supreme Leader's power to a peak. All of the more pragmatic moderates are being pushed aside....The West will struggle to find someone in Iran it is comfortable doing business with." The flaws of the original 2015 deal are fully on display, he said, due to the speed with which Iran was able to return to nuclear activity in recent months. "Whether or not Iran goes back to the 2015 agreement doesn't matter to it. Within a short time, they have proven their nuclear knowledge, and they can decide to advance their nuclear project whenever they want." "The know-how cannot be taken away from the Iranians. They know what to do, and how to do it. If they're not stopped, they will get to where they want to go." Iran is shortening its nuclear breakout time quickly, he added.
2021-08-02 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive