Israeli Defense Minister to U.N. — Iran Tripled Uranium Enrichment

Defense Minister Benny Gantz shared intelligence with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, and other senior United Nations officials showing Iran had tripled its uranium enrichment over the past year.

Gantz told the UN that the progress on Iran’s nuclear program was “significant.”

“The number of advanced centrifuges in Iran’s possession is substantial,” Gantz said.

He noted that the country had tripled its enrichment capacity at the Fordow site, in direct contravention with the nuclear deal.

“Iran currently enriches uranium to a level of 60%, but if it chooses to do so, it can raise the level to 90%,” he said, noting that it was a short step from weapons-grade.

“We must act to prepare an operational, and economic response and prevent a new deal that would not set the Iranians back,” Gantz said. “This matter must also be addressed by the U.N. security council,” he said.

He called on the U.N.’s nuclear agency to continue investigating uranium traces discovered at undeclared sites across Iran despite Tehran’s insistence that the nuclear deal will not go ahead if the International Atomic Energy Agency’s monitoring continues.

A day earlier, Gantz revealed a map of Iranian missile facilities across Syria.

“Iran is building terror industries in Syria for its needs. Recently it started building advanced industries in Yemen and Lebanon as well. This trend must be stopped,” Gantz said at the Jerusalem Post conference in New York on Monday.

“Under the vision of [slain Iranian commander] Qassem Soleimani, Iran transformed CERS [the Scientific Studies and Research Center] into production facilities for mid- and long-range precise missiles and weapons,” Gantz said.

“The sites that I reveal to you on the map, and in particular the underground site in Masyaf where precision missiles are manufactured, constitute a significant potential threat to the region and to Israel,” Gantz said.

CERS facilities were damaged in alleged Israeli air strikes last month and earlier this month, more alleged Israeli strikes were conducted on two airports in Syria.