Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock

That's the sound the countdown clock makes as the hands move toward the moment when Iran's nuclear capability will cease to exist:

The Iranian government has been successfully scouring Europe for the sophisticated equipment needed to develop a nuclear bomb, according to the latest western intelligence assessment of the country's weapons programmes.

Scientists in Tehran are also shopping for parts for a ballistic missile capable of reaching Europe, with "import requests and acquisitions ... registered almost daily", the report seen by the Guardian concludes.

The warning came as Iran raised the stakes in its dispute with the United States and the European Union yesterday by notifying the International Atomic Energy Authority that it intended to resume nuclear fuel research next week.

A spokesman for the Israeli military was asked the other day how far they'd be willing to go to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. His response was a classic:

"About 2,000 kilometers."