"1 year away from a nuke" only means they will get a nuke if they work on it for 1 year.
Yes, they stalled the project for a long time. Yes, many right-wing politicians used this fear to get votes. The Iranian regime probably started running for a bomb only in the last few months after Assad and Hezbollah have fallen, thinking an Israel bleeding in Gaza won't start a fourth front (after Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen).