Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt said Thursday on Newsmax that Iran’s ability to build a nuclear weapon has been significantly delayed following joint U.S. and Israeli strikes, despite reports that enriched uranium stockpiles survived.
Appearing on “The Chris Salcedo Show,” Holt pushed back on a New York Times report that Israeli officials believe portions of Iran’s underground uranium stores remained intact and accessible to its nuclear engineers following a joint U.S.-Israeli operation last month.
“Well, we could believe it,” Holt said, responding to the report. “But I mean, the hit list speaks for itself. I think they’re down to three nuclear scientists and a dog named Rex.”
Holt, a former deputy military representative to NATO, said the strikes had done severe damage to Iran’s nuclear program and set back any immediate efforts to restart weapons development. “When you look at the shambles that it’s going to take to recover that uranium and get it back up operational, get it tested, get a bomb tested, they are set back a certain amount of time,” he said.
The New York Times, citing a senior Israeli official speaking anonymously, reported that some of Iran’s uranium stockpile — enriched close to bomb-grade levels — had survived attacks on key underground facilities. The same official also said Israel began moving toward military action late last year after intelligence indicated Iran was accelerating a covert push to build a nuclear bomb.
The urgency, according to the report, increased following the Israeli Air Force’s killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Israeli intelligence soon afterward detected new activity linked to nuclear weapons development, prompting fresh planning and coordination with the United States.
Holt acknowledged that uranium may have survived but emphasized the operational challenges Iran would face in rebuilding its program. “They’re not just flipping a switch and making a bomb next week,” he said.
He also noted a shift in Iran’s internal political landscape. “Right now, what the president wants to do is pursue a demilitarized answer,” Holt said, referring to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who took office after a surprise victory earlier this month.
“To get down to the nitty gritty about who is going to be in charge of Iran — it’s probably not going to be the ayatollahs for long,” Holt added. “And the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] is probably looking for a way out of town too.”
Holt said the newly elected Iranian president, who has a Turkish background, could represent a moderate shift. “The guy to watch very critically here is the president,” Holt said. “He is a moderate by relative standards. He’s really making the rounds right now to reach out to the world. So that’s the ray of hope. Let’s look at him and see what he does.”
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