WH issues clarification on Iran breakout time

Channel 2 reports that the White House issued a correction to clarify President Obama’s comments during an interview with NPR, in which he said Iran could break out to nuclear weapons almost immediately 13-15 years from when an agreement is signed.

In the interview, the president said that in “13, 14, 15” years from a moment a deal is signed the breakout time would be reduced “almost to zero.”

Later on in the interview, Obama said “Keep in mind, though, currently, the breakout times are only about two to three months… so essentially, we’re purchasing for 13, 14, 15 years assurances that the breakout is at least a year… that — that if they decided to break the deal, kick out all the inspectors, break the seals and go for a bomb, we’d have over a year to respond.”

According to Channel 2 foreign affairs analyst Arad Nir, who asked the White House for a clarification, “if a deal is not signed, at the end of the period of 13-14-15 years, Iran will be able to build a bomb any time it wants.

“Thanks to the deal, it will take Iran another year. And the US president at the time will be able to decide how to react,” he added.