Former Senior IAEA Official Yousri Abu Shadi: Iran Is Capable of Producing Nuclear Bombs in Less Than Two Years

Following is an interview with former senior IAEA official Yousri Abu Shadi, which aired on Channel 1, Egyptian TV, on August 19, 2009.

Yousri Abu Shadi: In my estimation, Iran did not enter the military field in an explicit manner.

Interviewer: And it does not strive to do so either?

Yousri Abu Shadi: The question should be whether it is capable of doing this. Yes. Technically speaking, it is capable of it. If Iran wants to produce nuclear bombs within a short period of time, it can. It’s over. They have been enriching uranium for two years now, and by now they have more than 7,000 centrifuges, which produce tons of enriched uranium, but to a low percentage. If they complete the process, they will produce uranium enriched to whatever percentage they want – 90% or more. At the moment, they enrich uranium to 5%. We must admit that Iran is...

Interviewer: How long does it take to move from 5% to 90%?

Yousri Abu Shadi: It doesn’t take a long time.

Interviewer: What, a year? Two years?

Yousri Abu Shadi: I say that since they have not completed the plant yet, and they are still working on it, it will take them two years maybe, but if Iran withdraws from the inspection, it will be able to produce a nuclear bomb in less than two years.