Report: US privately warned Iran over suspicious nuclear activities

The United States sent a private warning to Iran last month expressing serious concerns about Iranian research and development activities that could be used for the production of a nuclear weapon, Axios reports, citing three unnamed US and Israeli officials.

The report says both Israel and the US have detected suspicious nuclear activities by Iranian scientists in recent months and fear that Tehran could be using the period in the runup to the US elections for a covert push to nuclear weaponization.

Several months ago, US and Israeli intelligence services obtained information that showed Iranian scientists engaging in computer modeling and metallurgical research that could be used for the development of nuclear weapons, Axios says.

The report says that the US used both direct and third-party channels to send their concerns to Iran. The Iranians responded by clarifying their activities and telling the Americans there had been no change to Iran’s official policy.

The Iranian response “somewhat eased anxieties” over the Iranian research and development activities, Axios says.

“We do not see indications that Iran is currently undertaking the key activities that would be necessary to produce a testable nuclear device,” a US official tells Axios.