“There is an enriched amount [of uranium] in volumes we’ve never seen before and it’s worrying. At the same time, in all other aspects of the Iranian nuclear project, we see no progress, ”said Hayman in an interview with Walla! New.

“Neither in the armaments project, in the financial field, nor in any other sector. Therefore, the remaining two-year time period has not changed. Because even when you have an escape, there is still a long way to go before a bomb hits.

According to Hayman, while the levels of enriched uranium are “worrisome”, the Islamic Republic still has a long way to go before acquiring a functioning nuclear bomb that can threaten Israel.

“To our knowledge, the directive has not changed and they are not heading for a break. They’re not heading for a bomb right now. It may be in the distant future. “

The Iranians face three choices, he said, to revert to the previous nuclear deal of 2015, to break out and opt for an “unprecedented challenge”, including in weapons and continued enrichment, or to opt for an improved deal where they will get a lot more than they have done in the past. Tehran will likely try to exhaust long negotiations with the West while continuing to enrich itself.

Hayman said if the “right thing to do” is to act on the diplomacy side of Iran and its nuclear program, there must be a reliable and practical military option as well as tools. economic and diplomatic.

“Let’s agree that the right thing to do is take Iran in the direction we want on the diplomatic side. An attempt at a better deal,” Hayman.

Professor Yitshak Kreiss and Major General Tamir Hayman (credit: SHEBA MEDICAL CENTER)

Iran has always denied seeking nuclear weapons, but it is believed to continue to develop the capabilities to produce an arsenal of nuclear weapons as well as ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

In turn, the IDF has called for a significant budget increase so that it can strengthen its attack capabilities if it were to attack Iran’s nuclear program.

Israel has also repeatedly warned against Iran’s aspirations for regional hegemony and carried out hundreds of airstrikes as part of its “war between wars” campaign to prevent the transfer of advanced weapons. to Hezbollah in Lebanon and the entrenchment of its forces in Syria where they could easily act against the Jewish state.

According to Hayman, even though Tehran deploys advanced anti-aircraft missiles, surface-to-air missiles and more, they continue to struggle to cope with attacks from the Israeli Air Force.

The assassination of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard force Quds, was “one of the most significant and important events of my time,” he said, adding that his assassination made a significant contribution to Israel’s national security.

He had been in charge of Iran’s regional aspirations and had been busy establishing a land bridge from Tehran to the Mediterranean as well as Iranian influence in Yemen when he was killed in a U.S. drone strike against the Baghdad airport in January 2020 with Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of the Iraqi paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces.

Explaining that there aren’t many people like Soleimani, he said the man has strategic vision and operational capability to get things done in Syria in a short period of time.

“He was also the creator of Syria. It’s the biggest story, there aren’t a lot of people like him, ”he said. Those who remain, including Esmail Qaani who replaced Soleimani, are “brilliant people who have great administrative capacity but they cannot manage the decision-making processes. They have no authority.

IRANIAN WOMEN hold photos of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the late Iranian Lieutenant General. Qasem Soleimani, during the celebration of the 42nd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, Wednesday in Tehran. (credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR / WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) VIA REUTERS)

Solemani was the man who designed, approved and acted against Israel as well, Hayman continued.

“He was a dangerous man.” And now that he’s dead, his vision “is hopeless at the moment. No one is interested. Neither the Russians nor the Syrian regime. There is also a” steady and sustained decline in the number of Iranians in Syria, ”he said, adding that even though the Syrian militias remain, Iran continues to withdraw its people from the country.

But as Iran pulls its people out of Syria, Hezbollah remains entrenched there, ready to act against Israel.

Hezbollah is a “sophisticated and aggressive military tool” which, if activated by Iran, will result in two things: significant destruction of its assets and destruction of the Lebanese state.

If and when Hezbollah is fully deployed against Israel, the scale of Lebanon’s destruction will be difficult to compare, ”said Hayman. The use of Hezbollah, said Hayman, “is kind of like the nuclear dilemma, when do you use doomsday weapons? “