WW3 fears skyrocket as Iran official wars Tehran can launch nukes in one week

An Iranian government official issued a chilling warning that his country is now able to launch a nuclear test in as little as one week.

Javad Karimi-Ghodousi, a member of the Iranian Parliament's National Security Committee, claimed Iran will carry out tests in one week if permission is granted. 

He wrote in a post on X: "If the permission is issued, it is one week before the first test."

Karimi-Ghodousi also made claims that Iran has the capability to launch a ballistic missile with a range of 7,500 miles - way beyond the range of an intercontinental ballistic missile - within short notice.

He said in another post on X: "If the permission is issued, it will take one week to perform the first test of increasing the missile range to 12,000 km."

His statement on Monday came just hours after the Israeli foreign ministry spoke out against Iran's use of nuclear weapons as tensions continue to mount between the two countries.

Karimi-Ghodousi has previously spoken out about the use of Iranian nuclear weapons as missiles, warning of retaliation should anyone strike his country.

However, also on Monday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Nanaani claimed "nuclear weapons have no place in our nuclear doctrine."

During a press briefing in Tehran, he reiterated that Iran's nuclear program is "strictly for peaceful purposes".

 

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei meets students in Tehran© Getty

Islamic Revolutionary Guard general Ahmad Haghtalab recently said that Iran could forced to "review its nuclear doctrine and deviate from its previous considerations" in the wake of fresh threats from Israel.

On Friday, Iran sustained damage to an airbase in Isfahan, with the attack reportedly damaging a major defence system near a nuclear facility.

Nanaani called the attack, attributed to Israel, a "provocative act", warning that Iran "will respond decisively and more strongly to any aggressive action from any source."