OPINION: Two Minutes to Midnight—Why Iran’s Nuclear Gamble Must Be Stopped
Let me be blunt: granting nuclear weapons to such a regime is the height of international irresponsibility.
It is increasingly evident that the Iranian leadership – particularly the Ayatollahs in Tehran – are dangerously misreading the current mood in both the White House and Tel Aviv. Iran now possesses nearly 410 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60% – enough fissile material for 9 to 10 nuclear devices. Even more alarming are recent implosion tests, unmistakably linked to preparations for nuclear weapons testing.
According to multiple intelligence sources, Iran is poised to reach full breakthrough capability by September 1st.
Let’s not forget: this is a self-inflicted crisis. Tehran flatly rejected a previous offer by President Trump’s administration to supply low-cost nuclear fuel and assist in building peaceful nuclear power infrastructure, an offer that could have secured Iran’s energy future. Instead, Iran insists on retaining its existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium and refuses to cap enrichment at the internationally accepted 3.67%. In their latest counteroffer, they made it clear: no limits, no rollback, and no transparency.
The West had drawn a clear red line months ago. Iran was given a four-month window – from February 15 to June 15 – to reach a final agreement. That deadline is now upon us, and Tehran’s response suggests either catastrophic miscalculation or willful provocation. They are betting they can bluff their way to a nuclear test.
Let’s be clear: implosion tests are not for civilian purposes. These are military preparations. The idea that the world should accept Iran as a de facto nuclear state – just as it has with North Korea, India, or Pakistan – is dangerously flawed.
Why? Because Iran is not a conventional state actor. Unlike the others, the Islamic Republic has spent decades arming non-state actors (Houthis, Hezbollah, militias in Iraq and Syria) with sovereign weapons systems such as medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs). These are weapons that even Turkey, a NATO member with the second-largest army in the alliance, does not possess.
Iran has exported MRBMs with ranges of 2,200–2,500 km to its proxies in Yemen. These missiles have been used not just against one target, but against three sovereign states: Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the UAE. This reckless transfer of strategic weaponry to terrorist actors demonstrates that the regime in Tehran cannot be trusted with nuclear arms. They could transfer such weapons to third party non-state actors for deniability!
Let me be blunt: granting nuclear weapons to such a regime is the height of international irresponsibility. The consequences will not be limited to regional instability, they will define a new era of proxy nuclear terror.
Therefore, the choice is clear. Either we accept a nuclear-armed Iran that arms its proxies with sovereign weapons, or we act – militarily – before the point of no return. A war now, though painful, may be the only way to prevent a far greater future catastrophe.
Whether through a U.S. strike, an Israeli operation, or a coordinated joint action, military intervention is now not just likely, it is inevitable. Tehran is playing a high-stakes game of brinkmanship, and time has all but run out.
We are at two minutes to midnight.
Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not reflect Milli Chronicle’s point-of-view.
