Rafael Chairman Prof. Yuval Steinitz warned that any future agreement allowing Iran to keep uranium enrichment capability would let it return to near-nuclear threshold status within one or two years, repeating what he called the mistake of the Obama deal. In remarks made at a public event in Mishan on June 20, 2026, he said, "One year from a nuclear breakout is nothing," arguing that such an arrangement would not solve the underlying threat.
Steinitz said that Israel and its partners have already pushed Iran back by about three years, which he described as significant. He added, "A year from nuclear capability is like the Obama agreement," and said Iran is projecting strength but remains "a very weak country." His comments reflected concern that any deal preserving enrichment would leave Tehran with a rapid path back to nuclear threshold status.
Alongside the strategic warning, Steinitz also revealed progress in advanced defense technology developed with the United States. He said Rafael and the U.S. are the only entities in the world currently holding and developing the technology, and that it has already been proven operationally. According to him, full adaptation to the battlefield is only months away, with some solutions already deployed and additional systems still under development.
