New York Times: Mojtaba Khamenei appears to support the development of a thermonuclear warhead - Sarmad

U.S. intelligence agencies believe that Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is more focused than his late father on pursuing nuclear weapons, and that he appears to support the development of a thermonuclear warhead, according to U.S. officials speaking with The New York Times.

The newspaper reported on Friday that U.S. officials said toward the end of former President Joe Biden’s term that “Iran was exploring ways to develop a rudimentary nuclear weapon, perhaps akin to the Hiroshima bomb, which would be difficult to deliver to its target but would provide a form of deterrence.”

Citing U.S. officials, the report said the new supreme leader “views this type of weapon (akin to the Hiroshima bomb) as less useful, but appears to support the development of a thermonuclear warhead that could eventually be miniaturized and mounted on a long-range missile.”

In his public statements, Mojtaba Khamenei has pledged to preserve Iran’s nuclear capabilities, but he has not spoken directly about the necessity of acquiring a nuclear weapon.

He has also distanced himself from an agreement signed by the United States and Iran last June, which stipulated that Tehran would not seek to acquire a nuclear weapon, clarifying that he allowed the deal to be concluded but did not endorse it in principle.

The newspaper noted that intelligence agencies believe Mojtaba and the more hardline government that emerged after the demise of several senior Iranian leaders, including his father, the late supreme leader Ali Khamenei, have ambitions to develop advanced nuclear weapons.

According to the report, this assessment comes as U.S. President Donald Trump considers whether to intensify the war against Iran, with the conviction that the Iranian supreme leader is prepared to pursue a nuclear bomb potentially providing additional justification for escalation.

The New York Times reported that U.S. officials maintain that Tehran has not taken any steps to restart its nuclear program, but has taken measures to preserve its nuclear assets following U.S. strikes on key facilities last year, or during pauses in fighting in the current war.