Tulsi Gabbard says Iran could produce nuclear weapons "within weeks", months after she testified before Congress that the country was not building them. The US Director of National Intelligence said her March testimony - in which she said Iran had a stock of materials but was not building these weapons - had been taken out of context by "dishonest media".
‘Could’ vs ‘are’.
They may not have been, but they could if they wanted to, supposedly.
Now, if they didnt before, they certainly have the motivation and arguably the justification.
I certainly wouldn’t blame them for seeking out nuclear weapons now.
There is no reason to be weeks away from an atomic bomb unless you’re interested in building a bomb. Tulsi was wrong about the timeline, but they were/are doing all the things a country interested in building a bomb would do.
Well, maybe if foreign countries would leave them the fuck alone to do things like control and develop their own infrastructure and natural resources; they wouldn’t require nuclear weapons just to get some peace and quiet.
The last couple decades has proven that’s the only deterrent that actually works.
So were they going for nukes or not? Because your first comment seemed to claim they weren’t interested in nukes, but now you seem to claim they were justified in going for nukes this whole time.
(For the audience, Iran has been interested in nukes since at least the 90s, but has been prevented from getting one by lots of outside actors.)
Yes, they have been seeking nukes since at lease the 90s, probably earlier, as around the 70s America on behalf of Britain orchestrated a coup and dismantled the countries progress, all so Britain could continue fucking Iran out of its oil and the profit they need to develop.
As far as the present goes;
I don’t know whether they were going for nukes specifically, or instead were developing civilian energy projects that produce/use the same if not very similar products; and that stockpile enabled them to pursue both.
Honestly I didn’t care. While I generally don’t think ANYONE should have nukes, the US and Russia keep proving over and over again that that is the only deterrent you can actually rely on; so I can totally understand various nations drive to ensure they actually get some peace. If Iran feels they want/need nukes to keep themselves safe; well power to em, unfortunately they are correct.
Leave them the fuck alone. Stop providing them with more and more reason to fucking despise the west and it’s allies; continually proving they HAVE to fight back to continue to exist. Continuing to attack isn’t turning them away from nukes, it’s hardening their resolve and proving further why nukes are necessary. Why do you think they felt it necessary to build a facility 200m under a damn mountain??
Afraid they’re going to use their nukes offensively? Then stop giving them reasons to. Actually show some progress towards world peace instead of of just bombing everyone that has a slightly different world view.
“Death to America” does not constitute a slightly different world view. They are perfectly reasonable in their pursuit of nukes, and we’re perfectly reasonable in stopping them. When someone repeatedly says “we want to drop a nuke on people” you believe them and do what it takes to stop them.
Why are they saying ‘death to America’?
Because America won’t leave them alone. America started this shit, and continues to retaliate over and over for it’s own fuck ups comming back to bite it.
Obviously Iran is going to hate them and say things like ‘Death to America’ when America just wont stop giving them reasons to.
Maybe if America can demonstrate proper restraint and just leave the country to it’s own afairs, truly show themselves to NOT be an enemy of Iran, perhaps even an ally given sufficient time to heal; Iran will no longer feel the need to defend themselves against an immanent threat, whether real or perceived.
Bombing them sends the opposite message.
So… Yes, but we still can’t allow them to have the ability to take out an entire city in one strike. Sucks, I know, but there are lines.
The rest of the world says the same about America.
‘Terrorist’ isn’t a way of life, it’s the perspective of those against you.
Did you know Iran is the country that supports Hamas, Hezbollah, the Hotuthis and a bunch of other terrorist organizations? Did you know Iran has made many official statements about wiping Israel off the map?
Strange way to act if you want to be left alone.
Wouldn’t you hold a grudge after having your rapid progress towards technological and ideological growth completely derailed by a coup orchestrated by a foreign power that plunged your country into decades of chaotic religious fanaticism which suppresses freedom/human rights to this day?
Especially when that foreign power continues to threaten your existence and expand into territory surrounding you?
Nope, because holding grudges over past humiliations is a fascist thing.