Under this scenario, Iran could stay a signatory of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty while becoming a ‘virtual’ nuclear weapons state: Gates.

 

Tehran, April 18, 2010 (Hamsayeh.Net) - US Defense Secretary in his latest memorandum written in January warned the Obama administration it does not have an effective policy when it comes to dealing with Iran’s program.

Gates wrote, Tehran is fast approaching the nuclear threshold and it will soon be able to produce nuclear weapons, a charge Iran has dismissed repeatedly.

US Secretary of Defense claimed Tehran would soon be able to piece together a working weapon. He said that might be in the form of having all the components ready to build the bomb short of actually assembling one at a given time. Under this scenario, Iran could stay a signatory of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty while becoming a ‘virtual’ nuclear weapons state, the report said.

Gates called this is a wake-up for the White House. He suggested if sanctions or political pressures on Iran failed to force the country to abandon its nuclear program, the US and its allies should prepare to conduct secret operations in Iran to thwart the growing danger.