Friday , 19 April 2024

Iran suspected of ramping up nuclear weapon efforts: German intelligence

Al-Arabia – Iran is suspected of ramping up efforts to develop its nuclear weapon capabilities, according to a German intelligence report released on Tuesday.

The Islamic Republic is also pursuing “one of the largest missile programs in the Middle East,” the report said.

The 368-page document produced by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) detailed Iran’s activities during 2021, Fox News Digital reported.

It did not detail the exact nature of the activities, but cited Iran 59 times in the report showing that there “was suspicion of possible violations” of the Iran nuclear deal.

“The German domestic intelligence agencies were able to identify a significant increase in the indications of proliferation-related procurement attempts by Iran for its nuclear program,” the report said.

According to the document, “if there was a suspicion of possible violations of the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the 2015 Iran nuclear deal], the BfV passed on the relevant information to the responsible authorities.”

A German citizen of Iranian origin in Norderstedt, near Hamburg, is being investigated on “suspicion of having violated the Foreign Trade Law in three commercial cases,” the report said.

“He is said to have been involved in procuring laboratory equipment and spectrometers for Iran’s nuclear and missile programs.”

The proliferation “activities of foreign powers also include the procurement of know-how and products for the development and production of weapons of mass destruction and delivery technologies,” the report added.

“Iran is accused of supplying rocket and drone technology to the Houthi rebels in Yemen, among others, who in turn use them against the United Arab Emirates and its allies,” it said.

The report goes on to say: “Iran’s ambitious missile program is not covered by the provisions of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action… the procurement activities in Germany to this end [expanding the missile program] are consistently high – with an upward trend.”

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