"We don't even need to speculate. We get weekly updates on Iran's nuclear program from their own government"
Good question. It's one more people around here should be asking.
Iran is shaking down the West for $$$. If they were serious about building a nuke, they wouldn't tell anyone about it, ala Pakistan, Israel, India, etc.
If they say they have a nuke, it may not be reliable. Word has it the Paki's are quite unsure of their nukes, and N. Korea probably has theirs in a cardboard box.
Don't get me wrong, nuke terror is the world's number one threat, by far, IMHO, but Iran's corrupt government is mostly just angling for money, aid and status.
Guess who is going to give it to them?