Iran 'one or two weeks' from being able to create nuclear materials, Blinken says

Iran may be "one or two weeks" away from being able to produce the materials necessary for nuclear weapons, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday.

"Where we are now is not in a good place," Blinken told an audience at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado.

Iran has continued development of its nuclear program but has not produced a weapon yet, Blinken said. This would mark the closest the country has come to having that capability.

The U.S. will continue trying to prevent Iran from ever having nuclear weapons, he said, preferably through diplomatic negotiations.

“What we need to see," Blinken said, "if Iran is serious about engaging, is actually pulling back on the work that it’s been doing on his program.”

He added that the U.S. government has "maximizing pressure on Iran across the board. We’ve imposed more than 600 sanctions on Iranian persons and entities. We haven’t lifted a single sanction."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Anthony Blinken: Iran closer to having materials for nuclear weapons