US strikes may push Iran toward nuclear weapons in 5–10 years: Analysis

In an Al Jazeera interview, Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute rejected Trump’s "existential threat" justification, condemning US-Israel strikes on non-nuclear Iran as reckless. He warned the attacks would backfire, guaranteeing Iran becomes a nuclear weapon state within 5-10 years by incentivising proliferation. Parsi noted Iran likely moved enriched uranium stocks pre-emptively, leaving its programme intact despite Trump’s "mission accomplished" claims. He predicted Israel would push for sustained bombing, citing ongoing scientist assassinations. On regional allies, he doubted Hezbollah’s capacity and Houthis’ willingness to escalate further. Iranian public shock, he argued, would harden attitudes, torn between demanding retaliation and fearing all-out war with the US. The strikes risked global nuclear norms while failing to cripple Iran’s capabilities. Iran's FM Abbas Araghchi condemned the US strikes on nuclear sites as "outrageous" and vowed all options are on the table. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile #USAttacksIran #DonaldTrump #Iran #Israel #UnitedStates #IranIsraelWar #Fordow #Natanz #Isfahan #IranNuclearSites #IranNuclearProgram #IsraelAttacksIran #OperationRisingLion #AlJazeeraEnglish