Pat Dollard

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The Telegraph:

Tehran would need a year to enrich the uranium fully to produce a bomb and it would take “another year to develop the kind of weapon delivery system in order to make that viable,” Mr Panetta said.

Sanctions imposed by the United Nations could help weaken Tehran’s government by creating economic problems, but were unlikely to put an end to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Mr Panetta told the ABC network’s “This Week” programme.

Iran is under mounting international pressure over its suspect nuclear programme, which the West fears masks a covert weapons drive. Iran denies the charge, insisting that its atomic programme is for peaceful civilian purposes only.

Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, said the CIA chief’s revelations were “worrying” and criticised Tehran’s secrecy over its nuclear programme.

Over the weekend, G8 leaders urged Tehran to hold a “transparent dialogue” over its suspect nuclear programme. Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday that Iran would this week lay down its conditions for talks with the world powers.

The US Congress this week endorsed a sweeping package of tough new energy and financial sanctions on Tehran over the programme.

The Islamic republic has been flexing its military muscle mainly in the strategic Gulf region by staging regular war games and showcasing an array of Iranian-manufactured missiles.

Neither the United States nor its top regional ally Israel, the sole if undeclared nuclear-armed power in the Middle East, has ruled out a military strike to curb Iran’s atomic drive.

The UN Security Council this month slapped a fourth set of sanctions on Iran, targeting financial transactions and travel by senior military figures, to punish Tehran for its refusal to rein in its uranium enrichment programme.

Iran responded by barring two UN nuclear inspectors from returning to the country last week.