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Iran after obtaining Maraging Steel to build nuclear bomb casing |
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Thursday, 28 July 2005 |
Script of the press conference exposing new information and assess the current state of Iran's nuclear program
Mohammad Mohaddessin – Paris - 28 July 2005
I would like to draw your attention to a fundamental point. The three
parameters which the regime needs for its survival, namely internal
suppression, dominating Iraq and acquiring the nuclear bomb, are
intertwined with the ascension of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards
Corps. By appointing a former IRGC commander as President, Supreme
Leader intends to expand its meddling in Iraq and expedite nuclear
weapons production. Through Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Khamenei is trying to
push aside all bureaucratic obstacles in order to put all logistic,
diplomatic and financial resources at the disposal of the nuclear
weapons program.
By taking advantage of the conditions created by the EU-3 nuclear
talks, the mullahs are involved in procuring and completing the
necessary chain to produce a nuclear bomb.
- In several secret locations, including several
sites around Tehran, the regime is working round-the-clock to build
centrifuges. Thousands of these machines have already been built and
are ready for use.
- It has completed the Isfahan site during the
21-month talks with the EU-3. At present, the site has great capacity
to produce Hexafluoride, UF4 and UF6. The regime is preparing itself to
inject gas into centrifuges.
- The plutonium production in Arak facility has continued.
- The project to build nuclear warheads as well as their casings is continuing.
- The project to build neutron initiator is continuing.
 The information I am revealing today concerns specifically the regime's
efforts to acquire Maraging Steel, two times harder than stainless
steel and 85 percent harder than pure titanium, in order to build the
casing for the nuclear bomb as well as centrifuges.
An implosion is needed for a nuclear explosion to create high energy
explosion to set off a nuclear chain reaction and a nuclear detonation.
This initial explosion must take place in a closed area for maximum
power. A very strong casing is need, which is normally made with
Maraging Steel.
The regime is also using Maraging Steel to build the casing and
containers for missiles as well as external rotors of missile engines.
This is requirement to increase the range of the missiles.
The regime has been trying to obtain Maraging Steel both through smuggling from abroad and by producing it inside the country.
Purchase through smuggling, front companies
- At present, Maraging Steel is being smuggled to
Iran illegally from other countries. Grade 350 Maraging Steel is used
for centrifuges, including the enrichment rotor rolls. The regime is
also purchasing through smuggling from abroad a higher grade Maraging
Steel to build the bomb casing and nuclear warheads.
- The Defense Ministry imports Maraging Steel (which
it is banned from purchasing in the open market) for its military and
nuclear industry through the National Steel Company (NSC) and its
Director General, Amir Harati. In the past two years, NSC has made
several purchase requests from the Defense Ministry.
- Malaysia is one country where Maraging Steel is
obtained from. The shipments are first taken to the United Arab
Emirates where the manifest is changed and sent to Iran.
- The regime is also using different front companies
and methods to illegally purchase Maraging Steel and other banned
materials. To this end, it has registered a number of front companies
in different countries. These companies are ostensibly non-Iranian, but
their personnel are completely affiliated with the regime.
Names of front companies:
- A central company is set up to import metals. It is
called ASCOTEC and is a subsidiary of the Organization for the
Development and Rebuilding Iran's Mines and Industries. It has a very
active working relationship with NSC. Ahmad Alaghmand is in charge of
its Tehran branch. The address of the branch is: Tehran, Seyed Jamal
ad-Din Assad-Abadi Street, Martyr Jahan Ara Street, West 43rd Street,
number 36.
- ASCOTEC in Germany. This company is located in
Düsseldorf and headed by Ahmad Katani. The deputy for commercial
section is Yazdan Karimi. A woman, named Molawi coordinates some of the
activities. The phone number for the Düsseldorf branch is 49211470520.
The address of the head office is:
ASCOTEC GmbH, Terstegeen STR 10, 40474 Düsseldorf, Germany.
- ASCOTEC in Japan, headed by Engineer Haghighi.
- ASCOTEC in the United Arab Emirates, which ships the material to Dubai and from there to Iran.
- ICS in Russia. This company covers Central Asian
countries and is headed by Mr. Soltani. The phone number in Moscow is:
709527883321.
- In 1998, a British citizen of Iranian descent, Ali
Asghar Manzarpour was arrested and jailed for nine months for exporting
750 kms of Maraging Steel to Iran from the United States to be used for
nuclear weapons.
Production inside Iran:
6. Research and the production of Maraging Steel in
Iran are currently being conducted at Malek-Ashtar University, which is
affiliated with the Defense Ministry. Some advances have been made in
this regard. Malek Ashtar University is the center for different tests
for nuclear weapons and is affiliated with the Defense Ministry. The
headquarters for the University is in Tehran's Lavizan area. It also
has a branch in Isfahan and another in Karaj (west of Tehran).
The address for the branch in Isfahan is: Malek Ashtar University,
Shahin Shahr Township, End of Ferdowsi avenue, Malek Ashtar Industrial
University. Dr. Asghar Ibn Rassoul heads the materials complex and
works under the supervision of Dr. Nasser Ehsani.
The research at Malek Ashtar with respect to Maraging Steel is not
merely academic and theoretical. It aims to produce this type of steel
domestically.
The type of steel that is being procured in Malek Ashtar University
contains Cobalt and has grade of 300-350. Both types are used to build
rotor for centrifuges. There have also been tests for higher grade
steel.
7. The regime has also used other scientific and
specialized centers to obtain Maraging Steel. Tehran's Technical
University has carried out some research on this type of steel under
the supervision of Dr. Nili.
In Sahand University in Tabriz (northwest Iran), Dr. Siamak
Hossein-nejad has worked on Maraging Steel. The regime has also begun
research on Nono Steel.
In Isfahan's Mobarakeh Steel factory, a series of secret activities are
underway. Last year, a new assembly line was set up. All information
about it is classified and even Iranian experts are not allowed to
visit the location. The assembly line is reported to have been put in
place for the production of Maraging Steel.
8. To build Maraging and Nono Steel, Iranian experts
held several meetings last year with Russian experts and several
meetings with Chinese experts this year. They have also traveled to
Japan for to get some expert advice.
Concerning the nuclear talks with the EU-3, Secretary for the Supreme
National Security Council and Tehran’s nuclear point man in talks with
the European Union, acknowledged, “In the past 21 months, the Islamic
Republic has achieved brilliant results in technical, legal, political,
propaganda and national security spheres… Today, however, we have
started up, tested the facility in Isfahan at the industrial level, and
produced several tons of UF6. Today, there are a significant number of
manufactured centrifuges ready for use. It may seem on the surface that
we have accepted the suspension. But in reality, we have used the time
to alleviate many of our shortcomings. We continued building
centrifuges until the Paris Accord. After June, we doubled our efforts
to make up for the suspension. We have not suspended work in Isfahan,
even for a second. Arak has not been suspended at any time… The
decision that the fuel cycle was our red line agreed to by the regime's
leaders and experts.”
A few days prior, Hossein Moussavian, head of Tehran's negotiation team
with the EU boasted, “As the result of negotiations, not only Iran’s
nuclear capabilities were preserved, and we were spared a military
attack, but we were also able to complete our nuclear capabilities
because of the atmosphere that was created. For example, the UCF
project in Isfahan was completed in this period and can now be used.”
He stressed that without the nuclear talks, “large contracts in oil and
gas we signed with the rest of the world would have been impossible.
The nuclear talks allowed Iran to sign long-term contracts to export
gas to India, China, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.”
The clerical regime is pursuing nuclear weapons full force. As I said,
it has allocated all its resources to this effort. The French Prime
Minister said that terrorists were using terrorist camps in Iran to go
to Europe. Regrettably, Tehran is exploiting EU's appeasement to obtain
nuclear weapons.
Is there anything that could stop the mullahs from getting the A-bomb?
The fundamental solution is democratic change in Iran at the hands of
the Iranian people and Resistance. The main impediment to this change
is European appeasement of Tehran. This policy has contributed greatly
to prolong the mullahs' rule. By labeling the main Iranian opposition,
the People's Mojahedin as terrorist, EU has created the biggest
obstacle to change in Iran.
If we do not want a terrorist regime obtain nuclear bombs, the policy
of appeasement must be abandoned. By referring Iran's nuclear file to
the UN Security Council, the regime could be prevented from easily
acquiring the necessary means to complete its projects. By removing the
unjust tag on the Mojahedin, the EU should stop acting as Tehran's
accomplice in cracking down on the Iranian people and remove the unjust
impediments for democratic change in Iran.
I also have a recommendation for IAEA Chief, Dr. Mohammad
Elbaradei. Today, we have revealed that Iran is producing Maraging
Steel domestically and has also purchased it from abroad. Why does the
IAEA not send some of its inspectors to visit the sites we have
identified and also investigate the front companies used by the regime
to purchase Maraging Steel? If you send them now, you may catch them
red handed. If you delay, the mullahs would conceal everything.
He said Iran should not be harassed. I say the world's most dangerous
terror sponsor must be harassed. The international community can ill
afford to allow the mullahs to continue their nuclear work with
impunity.
Reuters Report
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