IAEA expected to release report showing best evidence yet that Iran pursuing atomic weapons

The Takeaway

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A new report from the International Atomic Energy Agency is expected soon and it could provide some of the firmest evidence yet that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program — and not just a nuclear energy program.

David Sanger, chief Washington correspondent for The New York Times, said the report will show that Iran is working on explosives specifically designed to funnel inward all the energy from an explosion.

"If the IAEA can prove they actually have this, there's no other plausible explanation for why they'd have this work underway, except to trigger a nuclear bomb," Sanger said.

The Iranians, on the other hand, will most likely fall back to their typical position: all of the "evidence" the IAEA has is fabricated by Israel and the United States.

The explosives believed to be described in the report, which has been revealed to the United Nations Security Council, are used in creating a plutonium-based bomb.

So far, Russia and China are lobbying the IAEA not to make their report public, the Times said.

"It could well provide a trigger (for further sanctions), although, there's been a lot of reaction over the last four years. It just hasn't dissuaded the Iranians."

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"The Takeaway" is a national morning news program, delivering the news and analysis you need to catch up, start your day, and prepare for what's ahead. The show is a co-production of WNYC and PRI, in editorial collaboration with the BBC, The New York Times Radio, and WGBH.

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