Iran’s new supreme leader ‘more driven than ever’ to create nuclear bomb after Trump’s strikes, US intelligence fears

IRAN’S new Ayatollah is even more determined to develop a nuclear bomb than his late father, Washington fears. Fresh US intelligence suggests the killing of the former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in February has led to the intensification of Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Mojtaba Khamenei (C), son of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran Credit: AFP An Iranian nuclear programme could bolster the case for further US strikes Credit: AFP The Iranian program could bolster President Donald Trump’s case for actioning further strikes in the region. For years, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s 2003 religious ban on weapons of mass destruction tempered global concern regarding Iran’s nuclear programme. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Now, following the recent US-strikes in the area, officials believe Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei takes a more favourable approach to nuclear armament. While Mojtaba has never publicly called for use of nuclear bombs, intelligence assessments reportedly show he has fewer ideological qualms about weaponization and may back a more advanced arsenal, according to The New York Times. Officials fear Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, (C), takes a favourable approach to nuclear armament. Credit: Getty US intelligence fears Mojtaba is more determined than his farther to develop a nuclear bomb Credit: Alamy For quite some time, Tehran quietly expanded its nuclear infrastructure and preserved the option to build a weapon if it choses under the late Ayatollah’s regime. And while they may have had the capabilities, the development of a nuclear bomb seemed uncertain. If confirmed, evidence of Mojtaba’s nuclear ambitions could reinforce the rationale for future US military action. For now, Iran has not restarted enrichment or resumed weapons work since last year’s US airstrikes, which inflicted major damage. Most read in The Sun Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in February following a series of joint US and Israeli strikes Credit: AP:Associated Press Mojtaba has never publicly called for use of nuclear bombs but fears are growing Credit: EPA Instead, Tehran appears focused on salvaging what remains – including the heavily fortified underground complex known as Pickaxe Mountain. Officials say Iran has moved some centrifuges, used to enrich uranium, into the deep underground facility. The centre is believed to lie beyond the reach of America’s most powerful bunker-busters. Tehran has poured extra ground forces around the site, amid fears the US could attempt a sudden raid rather than rely on airstrikes alone. In June, the US hammered Iran’s Fordow nuke plant with stealth bombers during an overnight mission. The strike was executed for the purpose of inflicting major damage to Iran’s nuclear programme. B-2 stealth bombers dropped massive bunker-busters on Fordo and Natanz, while Tomahawk missiles hit Isfahan. Officials revealed that about 75 precision-guided weapons were unleashed in total. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said: “Our B-2s went in and out and back without the world knowing at all.” Intelligence on Mojtaba Khamenei’s intentions comes with heavy caveats, with much of it predicating the current fighting. Mojtaba is thought to favour sophisticated warheads small enough to sit atop long-range missiles. Ali Khamenei’s fatwa banning nuclear weapons never stopped Iran mastering the technology to build one, and hardliners long argued Tehran should be able to assemble a bomb at speed if it had to. Comment now