Report: Iran resuming work on nuclear bomb

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Iran has resumed research on development of a nuclear bomb, a U.S. intelligence report says.

The finding refutes a 2007 report that Iran had halted work on developing a nuclear weapon, The Washington Post said.

The report didn't say when Iran might develop the bomb and the National Intelligence Estimate said while Iran had resumed research, it described "serious debate within the Iranian regime … on how to proceed."

The new report is important because it represents the entire U.S. intelligence community, rather than a single agency, the newspaper said. But unlike the 2007 estimate, the new information will remain classified.

"Iran is technically capable of producing enough highly enriched uranium for a weapon in the next few years, if it chooses to do so," said Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

Iran's efforts to develop a nuclear warhead have been slowed by international sanctions and sabotage. The newspaper described an incident in which a computer worm caused major equipment failures in centrifuge machines used in the enrichment of uranium.

A U.S. official said sanctions are causing major problems for Iran at a time when Tehran is facing increasing civilian unrest.