Congress Warns Iran Will Have Nuclear Weapon by 2027

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

A recently published Congressional analysis cites evidence that Iran is surging forward with an ability to develop and acquire nuclear weapons, something likely to be of grave concern to the Pentagon, Israel and NATO allies in Europe.

“The Final Report of the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States,” does not specifically say Iran currently possesses nuclear weapons but does cite the seriousness of a fast-evolving risk, including the possibility that Iran could have a nuclear weapon by as soon as 2027.

“The Commission’s assessment is that the United States must consider the possibility that Iran will become a nuclear state during the 2027-2035 timeframe,” the report states. 

Nuclear Iran?

The risks posed by Iran do indeed appear quite serious and also quickly increasing, according to multiple reports and publicly available assessments. An essay from earlier this year in Warrior Maven, for example, cites evidence of Iranian progress likely to be of concern to the Pentagon. “In the latest IAEA quarterly publication issued in March, inspectors’ findings amplified the warning that Iran is expanding its arsenal materials exponentially. The report found that Iran has nearly 33 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60% purity. According to the Wall Street Journal, Iran is just 7 kilograms short of producing enough weapons-grade nuclear fuel for a weapon,” the Warrior Maven essay reports.

This threat posed by Iran, along with what the report cites as a “two-peer” nuclear environment involving growing risks from both China and Russia, is cited by the Congressional commission as a key reason why the Pentagon needs to massively increase its nuclear arsenal.

“A number of commissioners believe it is inevitable that the size of the U.S. nuclear stockpile and the number of delivery systems should increase,” the detailed study, called “The Final Report of the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States,” states.