(NewsNation) — The editorial director of Antiwar.com is challenging Israel’s claims that Iran was mere days away from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Scott Horton, who also is director of the Libertarian Institute, said those assertions haven’t been confirmed by other nations, including the United States.

“What they had all along is a latent nuclear deterrent — it’s the same as Germany, Japan or Brazil, where they had shown they perfected the fuel cycle, they know how to make nuclear weapons fuel, but they’re not making it,” Horton told “On Balance” host Leland Vittert on Friday, a day after Israel launched military strikes against Iran.

“With this attack, they’re actually more likely to pursue nuclear weapons now, whereas before they actually were not pursuing them.”

Horton faulted President Trump for voiding a U.S.-Iran agreement in 2018 that would have restricted Tehran’s nuclear capabilities. It was brokered by the Obama administration.

“Trump could have just got back into the deal and called it the Trump Deal instead of the Obama Deal, and all of this would have been fine,” Horton said.