Iran is capable of making nuclear weapons and will change its doctrine to allow their production if it faces an “existential threat,” a senior adviser to the supreme leader of Iran has said.
Kamal Kharrazi, head of the Islamic Republic’s strategic council of foreign relations, also said the country was “ready for war” amid speculation it was planning to launch a fresh attack on Israel.
“We are ready for war but we do not want to escalate because we have currently proven our ability to deter from doing so,” he told Lebanon-based pro-Iran broadcaster Al-Mayadeen.
“The matter is up to the Israelis, if they really want to continue, we will respond to them. Our missile capabilities are clear to everyone and everyone believes in them, and we have proven that during our operations.”
Intelligence officials have suggested Iran could attack within days, possibly through a drone attack launched from one of its proxy groups in Iraq.
It is unclear whether Iran plans to attack Israel before or after next week’s US election but Mr Kharrazi claimed Israel was to blame for increasing instability in the region.
Tehran was left reeling after Israel used dozens of aircraft, including F35 stealth jets, refuellers and drones, in a retaliatory attack in the early hours of last Saturday morning.
Israel was responding after the Islamic Republic launched 180 missiles towards Tel Aviv and Jerusalem earlier in October.
The Israeli military avoided directly targeting Iran’s nuclear programme in last weekend’s strikes, although it hit a base linked to nuclear experiments.
Iran does not currently possess a nuclear weapon and there has so far been no indication that Tehran has decided to weaponise the programme.
However, experts believe that it could produce sufficient weapons-grade enriched uranium for a weapon in a week.
Developing the weapon would take months and mounting it on a warhead capable of reaching Israel or another enemy could take even longer.
Kharrazi said that although Iran has the technical capability to produce nuclear weapons, it is currently held back by a fatwa, or religious decree, issued in the early 2000s by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
He added this could change if the country’s existence was under threat.
“If Iran faces an existential threat, it will change its nuclear doctrine. We now have the necessary ability to produce nuclear weapons, and the only obstacle is the fatwa of the Leader, which has banned the production of nukes,” Kharrazi said.
He also said that the Islamic Republic of Iran would increase cooperation with Russia, which it has been supplying with drones and missiles.
“Russia and China seek to build a new international system in order to be free from the West’s hegemony and authority,” he said.
Kharrazi added that it will increase the range of its missiles beyond a self-imposed limit of 1,250 miles if Europe ignores “Iran’s territorial integrity”.
While Israel did not attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, last weekend’s strikes make it easier to do so, having severely damaged the country’s air defences.
All four of Iran’s Russian-made S-300 air-defence systems have now been taken out, meaning it is easier for Israeli fighter jets to safely enter Iranian airspace.
Chris Biggers, an imagery expert who used to work for America’s National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, told the Economist that satellite images show evidence of a destroyed radar to the south-west of Tehran and another system on the western border.
During last week’s strike only F-35 stealth fighters entered Iranian airspace while F-15 and F-16 jets fired long range missiles from neighbouring Iraq.
To strike nuclear sites buried deep underground missiles would have to be fired closer to the target but the destruction of air defence systems and radars could make this easier.
