The Imam was the first to express this particular concern. "Could the Israelis know something about our plans?"
The general was getting worked up "Only if there is a traitor among us. I never really trusted the scientists. They may have inadvertently said something, or even worse, are working for a foreign power. I'll have every one of them interrogated".
The Imam held up his hand "Don't you dare touch them before the device is delivered to my hands. Each one of them is vital for the success of our grand plan. After that you take them all, parade them through the streets of Tehran and hang them in Meydan a Azadi".
The Senior Assistant just nodded and after some thought said "Do you think we should continue with our grand plan or abort it?"
The Imam said "If you remember, our original plan was to give them a Hannukah gift that they will never forget. I checked their calendar and discovered that this year the holiday is particularly early — on 29th of November. This also coincides with the very same date that the United Nations plan for the partition of Palestine was approved. This date is celebrated by the Zionist Entity and mourned by the Arabs. Yes, this would have been ideal, but in view of what's going on we need to implement our plan sooner."
General Aslawi had cooled down a little and said "What do we have to lose? If IAEA inspectors discover the laboratory the world will treat us as cheaters and impose the old sanctions on us, anyway. But if we demonstrate our ability to build nuclear weapons and our determination to use them then we'll be treated like North Korea or Pakistan and no one will dare mess with us. I say — let's go ahead as if nothing has happened."
The Imam wasn't so sure that this was the optimal course of action. He said "I understand the general's point of view, but I believe that we can close down the laboratory, clean it thoroughly. Perhaps we can even fill it with concrete so even the most accomplished inspectors will find no trace of any nuclear material. Then, general, you can interrogate the scientists and hang them 50 meters above ground from Azadi tower if you wish."
The Senior Assistant said "I will bring this matter to the Supreme Leader and we shall obey his decision, as always. This may take some time because he will probably wait for some divine guidance. I'll call you back when I hear his verdict."
The Imam went directly to Evin Prison. First he stopped by the cell in which the Israeli hostages were held. He went through the usual routine with Fatso accompanying him. He called the prisoners to turn around and face him and then informed them that Morris and Vicki Aladgem had held a press conference with the Prime Minister. He only told them about the first part of the PM's speech and the praise the Islamic Republic of Iran had received from the PM himself and from the freed hostages. Zorik was the first to speak, as usual "Honorable Imam, when will we all be released?"
The Imam looked at them and answered noncommittally "Soon, Inshallah, with the will of Allah you will all be safe and sound in your country".
Zorik thought that it would not be a good idea to pursue the matter and said "We all wish to thank you once again for letting Morris go with Vicki. We really appreciate this gesture".
The Imam smiled and left that part of the prison and made his way to Basement S. His unannounced visit found the entire staff of the clandestine laboratory in the small conference room apparently engaged in some technical discussion. Dr. Fathi was standing at the white drawing board with a red marker in his hand and was busy writing down some complicated equation. The Imam identified the black circle that was surrounded by a series of pie-shaped segments that were drawn with a blue marker as the core of the nuclear device and the segments as depicting the explosives used to compress the metallic core. Fathi had completed writing the equation and then added a small red pin-shaped line in the center of each blue segment. When he saw the Imam at the door he stopped in mid-sentence. The other members of the laboratory staff turned their heads and saw the Imam and all instinctively stood up as sign of respect. The Imam took a seat and motioned for Fathi to continue with his presentation. Fathi addressed the Imam and explained that the red pin-shaped lines represented the detonators that had to be programmed to explode simultaneously. The Imam nodded and then asked Fathi to conclude his presentation as he needed to discuss something with him in private.
After everyone else left the room the Imam said "Dr. Fathi we are running out of time and have to move ahead quickly. When can you have the device ready and packaged?"
Fathi said "We need more time for testing it and verifying its ruggedness. In principle it can be available for delivery tomorrow but then I cannot guarantee that it won't suffer some damage during transportation."
The Imam considered this and said "Can you quantify the probability of malfunction?"
Fathi said "Honorable Imam, as you are well aware that we have never manufactured a nuclear device in this country, and certainly never had the opportunity to do real testing. I cannot give you a solid, verifiable probability. All is in the hands of Allah."
The Imam didn't need a religious sermon from Dr. Fathi. He grimaced at the mention of Allah in this context and walked out of the room saying "Dr. Fathi, be prepared to deliver the device as soon as I give the order."
Chapter 19
As soon as the Prime Minister left the press room he returned to his office. Shimony, David, the Head of the Israeli Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC), as well as the Minister of Defense, Chief of Staff of the IDF and by the Commander of the Air Force (CAF) were already seated around the table in the PM's conference room. The PM opened "Well gentlemen, I hope the Iranians got the message. How can we bring their military nuclear program to a standstill? How can we deter them from ever again trying to build a bomb? How serious is the threat?"
Shimony looked at David and gave him a sign to speak. David said "The green specks that were on Vicki's scarf were identified unequivocally as traces on high enriched uranium. This is the stuff the Iranians were working on clandestinely prior to the implementation of the nuclear deal. As far as the IAEA could verify all the enriched uranium, except a few hundred kilograms of low enriched uranium that is unsuitable for nuclear weapons, was removed from Iran. They may have managed to secretly accumulate, or acquire from foreign sources, some weapon grade uranium. The traces found on the scarf are really the first proof of that. The fact that they were collected from the shoes of Imam Mourtashef in Evin Prison probably means that they have a clandestine laboratory there. The nuclear forensics laboratory in Germany also found very minute traces of plutonium. As far as we know this must have come from a source outside Iran. These facts point to a gross violation of the nuclear deal and pose a clear and present danger to us if they manage to construct a nuclear bomb."
The Chief of Staff of the IDF asked "Do we know how advanced they are?"
The PM looked around the room and when he saw that no one volunteered to answer, he addressed Shimony "Haim, I expect this to be your top priority, although I believe that you have already designated it as such". He continued "If they make such a bomb how can they deliver it?"
The Commander of the Israeli Air Force said "We have a three tiered defensive system that enables us to intercept and destroy long range missiles, medium range missiles and tactical rockets as well as short range rockets. Our defense against aircraft consists of ground based anti-aircraft missiles and airborne fighter jets with the best pilots in the world". It was commonly accepted by the Israeli public, after five decades of persistent promotion and PR, that their pilots were indeed the best in the world. In fact, Israeli pilots shot down Spitfires flown by British pilots in 1948, British made Hunters flown by Jordanian pilots, Russian made Migs, Sukhois and a few other planes flown by Egyptian, Iraqi, Syrian and Russian pilots in the various wars since 1948. Even some Libyan pilots who dared challenge the Israeli air force were "splashed" in 1973.