Former Iranian Nuclear Chief Fereydoon Abbasi: If I Receive Orders To Build A Nuclear Bomb – I Will Do It; We Can Build A Small Nuclear Bomb That Can Destroy A Whole Military Base, And Is Not Classifi

Memri

6 days ago

Fereydoon Abbasi, former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, discussed Iran potentially building and detonating a nuclear weapon in a May 26, 2025 interview on SNN.ir (Iran). He said that he has not yet received orders to build a nuclear bomb - but if he does, he will carry them out. Abbasi added that any attacks on production sites would have little impact on the timeline for developing a bomb.
Abbasi stated that now is the time for people to leave Israel, warning that if the "Resistance Front" is threatened, no part of the Zionist regime should be considered immune. He said that all residents are complicit in the Israeli government's actions by remaining there and supporting it, and therefore the "Resistance Front," the Islamic world, and freedom-seeking people worldwide should demand their elimination.
Abbasi said that technological advances now make it possible to build smaller nuclear bombs that may not be classified as weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and could destroy just a military base, unlike the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He also warned the U.S., England, and Israel that an attack might not come via missile or aircraft but from within. He said: "The West is vulnerable to beasts of its own creation," referencing groups like ISIS, which he claimed were created by the West.
Fereydoon Abbasi: "In one of my interviews, I said that we had reached the capability to build a [nuclear] weapon 15-20 years ago, but we had not built it for several reasons.
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"[Building] this weapon requires two parts – the material and the technology. Let's say that you have the required material, such as uranium or plutonium. What technology will be employed? Detonation technology is needed. This means that if you can domestically produce detonators for RPGs, and if you can produce TOW and other anti-tank missiles... If they have a cone shape, why can't we make them into cylinders or spheres? This can be done.
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"We can create a symmetrical explosion. I am willing to demonstrate it for the skeptics using a cylindrical containment.
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"So far, we have not received orders to build [a nuclear bomb]. If they tell me to build it, I will do it.
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"It is a mistake to set a time frame, whether six months, a month, a year, or a day. Once the decision is made, you will need to make some small changes. If you work with uranium, you will need 90% enriched uranium. This level of enrichment can be achieved by laser, by electromagnetism, or by centrifuges."
Interviewer: "If we decide to build [nuclear weapons], and during the time it takes us to build them, they attack and destroy our infrastructure, what should we do?"
Abbasi: "Which infrastructure? Our nuclear infrastructure? Nothing would happen."
Interviewer: "How come?"
Abbasi: "Our capabilities are spread all over the country.
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"If they target the production sites, it will be inconsequential to our timetable."
Interviewer: "Our timetable to build [a bomb]?"
Abbasi: "Because our [nuclear materials] are not stored above ground for them to hit.
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"We need to stand firmly behind our armed forces and tell them to go and strike whoever threatens us, wherever they may be. The Zionist regime has committed countless killings. All the Zionists who remained there are hardcore Zionists. Now is the time for those who wish to emigrate to have their chance to leave. Moving forward, if the Resistance Front faces any damage or threats by the Zionist regime – including nuclear threats – no location inside the Zionist regime should be regarded immune, whether it is populated or not. They are all complicit in the killings, because they stayed there to support the regime. The Resistance Front, the Islamic world, and the freedom-seeking people worldwide should demand that all of them be eliminated.
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"If they threaten us – like the nuclear threats they made during the Bush era – we cannot sit idly by. Advancements in technology allow for the production of less powerful nuclear weapons that may not fall under the definition of WMDs. We should not think of these [devices] like the ones from Hiroshima or Nagasaki. It is now possible to destroy just a military base.
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"Countries like the U.S., England, and the Zionist regime should be aware that attacks will not always be carried out by means of missiles or aircraft. I say this because they focus so much on our missiles... What if they are attacked from within?"
Interviewer: "How come?"
Abbasi: "If the attacks come from the inside. Did they not create ISIS and Al-Nusra? Did they not own up to creating ISIS? Where are these groups that were gathered from different countries? Aren't they responsible for carrying out terrorist acts in different countries? The West is vulnerable to beasts of its own creation. They must expect that any action or threat against sovereign countries will result in repercussions against them."