Alan Ayr, a former U.S. negotiator for the Iran nuclear deal and a distinguished fellow for foreign policy at the Middle East Institute, said Iran is now more likely to seek nuclear weapons than it was during the 2015 negotiations. Ayr stated, “Iran’s ability to build nuclear weapons cannot be eliminated. They have learned how to enrich uranium, so all you can do is change their intentions.” He added that while some of Iran’s nuclear facilities have since been destroyed, these facilities can be rebuilt, and Iran’s knowledge of the relevant technologies continues to grow, making it unlikely that Iran will return to the restrictions it previously accepted, and “more likely to seek nuclear weapons.”
