The Washington Post reports that Iran has ordered banned magnets from a Chinese company that would result in its nuclear program expanding by five-fold and sharply compress Israel's timeline for dealing with Iran:

Iran recently sought to acquire tens of thousands of highly specialized magnets used in centrifuge machines, according to experts and diplomats, a sign that the country may be planning a major expansion of its nuclear program that could shorten the path to an atomic weapons capability.

Purchase orders obtained by nuclear researchers show an attempt by Iranian agents to buy 100,000 of the ring-shaped magnets - which are banned from export to Iran under U.N. resolutions - from China about a year ago, those familiar with the effort said. It is unclear whether the attempt succeeded.

Although Iran has frequently sought to buy banned items from foreign vendors, this case is considered unusual because of the order's specificity and sheer size - enough magnets in theory to outfit 50,000 new centrifuges, or nearly five times the number that Iran currently operates.

The revelation of the new orders for nuclear-sensitive parts coincides with Iran's announcement that it plans to add thousands of more-advanced, second-generation centrifuges that would allow it to ramp up its production of enriched uranium even further, analysts said.

China, of course, has been receiving waivers from Iran Sanctions legislation willy-nilly from Barack Obama who has determined that nation has been cooperating with laws meant to restrict Iran's nuclear program. Meanwhile, China has sharply boosted its import of Iranian oil and gas.

I wrote back in November 2012, that when it comes to our Iran Policy that the problem was Obama (see Iran Policy: The Problem is Obama).

What I wrote then is true now-but with greater evidence.

Lest we forget, in his Cairo speech, he also declared that "no single nation should pick and choose which nation holds nuclear weapons." So take that Israel - a veiled threat that Israel should refrain from attacking Iran or face the prospect of dealing with international blowback without America having its back.

The same declaration is all but handcuffing America, as well, since Obama seems to indicate he would have to go through the UN Security Council to seek permission (or as Secretary of State John Kerry might phrase it -seek a passing grade from an "international test") to strike Iran. The Security Council will oppose such a step.

What message is being heard by the mullahs in Iran over the last year as they rapidly accelerate their efforts to get the bomb?

The Hill reported early last year that White House spokesman Jay Carney had relayed that the White House was in no rush to deal with Iran despite Defense Secretary Leon Panetta stating that Iran could develop a nuclear weapon within a year.

Barack Obama late last year dismissed Israeli concerns over the Iranian nuclear program as just so much "noise."

Just a few days ago (when surely the administration was aware of the latest attempt by Iran to massively accelerate its nuclear program) the New York Times (the adjunct of the Obama administration) reported that Obama's advisers were content with "stalemate" with Iran.

The administration has issued so many national security waivers to Iran's major trading partners (exempting them from penalties) that the sanctions regime set up by Congress has been seriously compromised.

The enforcement of sanctions by the Obama team has been so flaccid that bipartisan majorities of both houses of Congress have repeatedly issued letters to President Obama calling him to actually enforce the pre-existing sanctions legislation targeting Iran's nuclear program.

Repeatedly, team Obama has warned Israel not to attack Iran.

A stalemate leads to an Iranian nuclear weapon. Voting present, leading from behind, allowing the window for diplomacy to be open for years (while continually warning it will be closed) while issuing waivers galore to nations importing Iranian oil, dereliction regarding enforcement of current sanctions laws, bluffs being called - all will lead to a nuclear Iran.

And in the latest signal to Iran, a known foe of sanctions and military action on Iran, Chuck Hagel, has been nominated by Obama (and will probably become) our next Secretary of Defense thanks to Democratic Senators' obeisance to Obama. Hagel seems to think that an Israeli bomb is more of a threat than an Islamic bomb.

You don't need to know Farsi to see the handwriting the wall.

Barack Obama's policies will, in all likelihood, lead to an Iranian nuclear bomb.