LONDON/TEHRAN — Britain's foreign intelligence chief believes his agents prevented Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons but that the pariah state will become armed within two years, the Daily Telegraph reported Friday. In a rare public speech, MI6 boss John Sawers told a meeting of around 100 senior civil servants in London that British agents had foiled Iran's attempts to produce a nuclear weapon as long as four years ago, according to the Telegraph. “You'd have Iran as a nuclear weapons state in 2008 rather than still being two years away in 2012,” the report quoted Sawers as saying last week. When Iran does finally acquire nuclear status, the intel ligence chief warned that Israel and the United States “would face huge dangers”. “I think it will be very tough for any prime minister of Israel or president of the United States to accept a nuclear-armed Iran,” he suggested. The US unleashed a fresh wave of sanctions against Iran Thursday, ratcheting up pressure to convince Tehran to take seriously concerns about its suspected nuclear weapons program. The actions impose additional sanctions on Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile proliferation networks and identify Iranian “front” companies and banks to assist in compliance, the Treasury Department said. “The Treasury and State Department actions target more than 50 entities tied to Iran's procurement, petroleum, and shipping networks,” the Treasury said. Iran has been subject to severe international economic sanctions over its controversial nuclear program, which Western powers believe masks an atomic weapons drive despite repeated denials by Tehran. Iran war games showed missile accuracy – report Iranian media reports say war games this month showed missiles with improved accuracy and firing capabilities. The reports say this adds to Iran's deterrence. Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards conducted the exercise in the central desert. The targets were models of foreign military bases, and the stated goal was to show that Iran's missiles can hit Western bases and Israel. This comes as the West steps up its sanctions aimed at curtailing Iran's nuclear program. The West believes Iran may be aiming to produce nuclear weapons. Iran denies that. The Friday reports said 90 percent of the missiles hit their targets. Missiles could be fired within seconds of each other, and some used solid fuel. Last month the Pentagon released a report noting that Iran has improved its missile capabilities. — Agencies
