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The situation in the Middle East in 2025 is evolving against the backdrop of many challenges and contradictions, where the Iranian nuclear program plays a key role. Israel is focused on resolving current crises – monitoring the truce with Hezbollah, negotiating the return of hostages with Hamas, stopping Houthi attacks from Yemen and discussing the future of Syria. This is reported by Walla.

Iran’s Nuclear Program: Borders and Choices

Iran is advancing in the development of its nuclear program and is already close to enriching uranium to military levels – about 90%. However, the Iranian leadership has so far avoided crossing this line in order to preserve the ability to assert the civilian nature of its program and avoid an immediate reaction from the West. This demonstrates Tehran’s strategic calculation: to achieve maximum progress in nuclear technology without provoking a full-blown crisis.

Although building an atomic bomb requires more than just highly enriched uranium, Iran has already overcome major technological obstacles that would allow it, if appropriate, to begin producing nuclear weapons. In this context, Tehran faces a historic choice: continue to advance its program with the potential risk of international isolation and military strike, or try to reach an agreement that will ease economic sanctions and reduce tensions.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, despite his historical caution, supports President Masoud Pezeshkian’s attempts to negotiate a nuclear agreement. This is due to the realization that without lifting sanctions, the country’s economy, which is in deep crisis, may be on the verge of collapse.

Still, there are growing voices within the country pushing for a more radical nuclear strategy. Following the weakening of Hezbollah and the damage done by Israel and its allies to Iranian infrastructure, Tehran understands its vulnerability to a potential attack. These sentiments are pushing for the creation of nuclear weapons as a means of strategic deterrence.

Israel is closely monitoring developments. If an agreement with Iran cannot be reached, the likelihood of a military attack on Tehran’s nuclear facilities will increase significantly. Such an operation could be an attempt to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power, but would carry the risk of a large-scale regional conflict.

Earlier, Cursor reported that against the backdrop of an intensifying confrontation with the Yemeni Houthis, who are Iran’s last operational link in the Middle East, a dilemma has arisen in Israel’s security system, perhaps the most significant since the beginning of the war.