The United States and Israel are effectively pushing Iran toward completing its nuclear program and obtaining a «trump card» in the form of nuclear weapons, said Danny Citrinowicz, former head of the Iran desk in Israeli intelligence.

He recalled that before 2003, Tehran sought to build a nuclear bomb, but Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei later abandoned that goal and focused on bringing Iran to the threshold of uranium enrichment without crossing into weaponization. According to him, Khamenei feared such a step and issued a fatwa prohibiting the development of nuclear weapons.

Citrinowicz stated that after Khamenei’s death, this restriction lost its force, and Mojtaba Khamenei has come to the forefront, describing him as a radical figure seeking revenge. In his assessment, he is backed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which he described as the most hardline force in Iran.

He added that Iranian leadership now views existing deterrence tools — including missiles, Hezbollah, and proxy forces — as insufficient, and is considering the need for a stronger deterrent.

According to him, Iran possesses about 440 kg of uranium enriched to 60%, which provides the technical capability to reach weapons-grade 90% enrichment.

Citrinowicz concluded that the current war, which was intended to prevent Iran from crossing the nuclear threshold, could instead push it toward building a nuclear bomb.