Defence Minister Benny Gantz asserted that “Iran continues to accumulate irreversible knowledge and experience in the development, research, production and operation of advanced centrifuges… It stands just a few weeks away from accumulating fissile material that will be sufficient for a first [nuclear] bomb, holds 60 kg of enriched material at 60 per cent, produces metallic uranium at the enrichment level of 20 per cent and prevents the IAEA from accessing its facilities”. Gantz went on to warn that “the price for tackling the Iranian challenge on a global or regional level is higher than it was a year ago and lower than it will be in a year”. “‘The cost of such a future war, which we hope will not happen, can be prevented or reduced’ with tougher negotiations by world powers”, he was cited as saying.