The United States would have about a year to take action if Iran decided to build nuclear weapons and the American military is well-prepared if the moment comes, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said in a television interview Tuesday. The Pentagon chief told "CBS This Morning" that it would take Iran some time to construct a nuclear device once the Tehran leadership chose to go ahead. "It's going to take them a while once they make the decision to do it," he said.
Asked how much time it would take, Panetta replied: "It's roughly about a year right now. A little more than a year. "And so, we think we will have the opportunity once we know that they've made that decision, take the action necessary to stop (the program)." Panetta's comments come amid tension with Iran over its nuclear program as well as growing friction between the United States and Israel over the urgency of the threat posed by Tehran's uranium enrichment work.
Panetta said US spy agencies are able to track Iran's nuclear project and assess how close the Islamic republic may be towards achieving the capability to build an atomic bomb. "We have pretty good intelligence on them. We know generally what they're up to. And so we keep a close track on them," he said.
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