Two weeks ago, oil prices tanked after reports emerged that the U.S. and Iran are making progress after resuming talks on a nuclear deal, a move that could ease sanctions on Iran's oil exports. Israel's Haaretz newspaper reported that the talks are moving forward more rapidly than expected, with the possibility of a deal being struck in a matter of weeks. Deal terms are likely to include Iran ceasing its 60% and higher uranium enrichment activities in return for permission to export as much as 1M bbl/day of oil. But now a highly controversial report claims that Iran is close to testing its first ever nuclear weapon. Separate intelligence reports published by Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden during the first half of this year have said that the Iranian regime ‘‘...has consistently sought to obtain technology for its illegal nuclear program and ballistic missile apparatus,’’ with the Netherlands General and Intelligence Security Service claiming that Tehran’s nuclear advancements, including the enrichment of uranium "brings the option of a possible [Iranian] first nuclear test closer."
The Netherlands’ intelligence agency has determined that Iran is "deploying increasingly more sophisticated uranium enrichment centrifuges [and] enlarging its enrichment capacity." That view is corroborated by Swedish intelligence authorities, which have claimed that, "Swedish technology as products with dual uses and critical cutting-edge products for both civilian and military use is of interest to Iran. Iran procures both technology and knowledge through illegal methods, and develops its own ability through Swedish universities and research institutions."
https://oilprice.com/Geopolitics/Asia/Foreign-Intel-Iran-Close-To-Testing-First-Nuke.html