NEW YORK (JTA) -- Iran will reach the nuclear threshold by the end of the year, Israel's military intelligence chief said.
Brig. Gen. Yossi Baidatz, speaking Tuesday at the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said that by late 2009 the Islamic Republic will have reached the point where obtaining a nuclear weapon will hinge on the decision of its leadership, the Jerusalem Post reported, citing Israel Radio.
Baidatz said he believed the international community has come to terms with a nuclear Iran.
In a related development, the London Times reported Monday that Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, has not yet decided whether to give the go-ahead to build a nuclear weapon.