It is "absolutely vital" the U.S. works to keep nuclear power out of the hands of Iran, according to former CIA Director James Woolsey on Newsmax TV.
Woolsey, the CIA chief under former President Bill Clinton, expressed concerns a new satellite launched last month by Iran could become a platform for the detonation of a "small nuclear weapon" or other device which could wreak havoc on America's electronic infrastructure.
"Once they have a nuclear weapon, launched into space with a small satellite, and detonate it tens or hundreds of miles above the earth, that knocks out our power grid – not just part of it, but basically, probably all of it," Woolsey told Wednesday's "Greg Kelly Reports."
"They may not have one yet, but they are very close."
The electromagnetic pulse generated by such an explosion could devastate American power grids and communications, he said.
The U.S. military has downplayed concerns about the Noor satellite, with U.S. Space Force commander Gen. Jay Raymond calling it a "tumbling webcam in space," Fox News reported.
Army Gen. Mark Milley said he was "not overly concerned" about the satellite, but added, "Different missiles can do different things and one can carry a satellite, and another can carry some sort of device that can explode. The bottom line is, yes, it is a security concern anytime Iran is testing any type of long-range missile."
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said April 25, the satellite's launch proves "Iran's space program is neither peaceful nor entirely civilian," Fox News reported.
"The Trump administration has never believed this fiction," Pompeo said.
Woolsey added Iran might "target the South China Sea and try to knock out the electronics of our ships," or take out electrical transformers.
"An electrical grid without transformers is like a human being without a heart," he said. "The system doesn't work very well."
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