The Iranian Nuclear Weapons: Atom Bombs on Shihab 3 Warheads

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Israel isn’t the only country that hides its nuclear program behind a veil of secrecy. Iran does so as well. Behind all the smiles and claims of “peaceful purposes” Iran avoids giving any real answers to the relevant international organizations. The Islamic Republic is trying to hide an advanced nuclear weapons program, including options for conducting nuclear tests and miniaturizing atomic bombs for installment on Shihab 3 missile warheads. Details are readily available to all those who are interested in the actual truth rather than in Iranian “peace” sentiments, because they’re included in a recent IAEA report. Israel is also a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, an organization promoting the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes, and attempts to prevent its use for military purposes.

The report mentions the following: The agency received information from an anonymous member state, according to which Iran is developing a military nuclear program, including enrichment of uranium to levels of 20% “for research”, in addition to technological means of plutonium production in the IR-40 reactor in Arak, and components for facilities necessary to conduct an experimental nuclear detonation. An in-depth examination of the 24-pages long report reveals the scope of the nuclear-military Iranian activities. All those who mistakenly believe that the recent agreement signed in Geneva would actually stop Iran’s nuclear race should be worried, extremely worried.

An Iranian document included in the report details the exact scientific knowledge possessed by the Iranians, having to do with designing and building a nuclear testing facility. Libya already had this information since 2003. According to the document the source of the Libyan information was the same as the source of Iran’s, but the source itself wasn’t mentioned specifically. Russia, however, sold Iran the heavy water reactor in Araq, so it’s safe to say that Russia is the source of the nuclear tests data. In addition, the report mentions a “member state” which gave the agency experts information on electrical systems required for nuclear tests and possessed by Iran. According to the report Libya had old versions of these systems, while Iran has more advanced ones. Despite repeated attempts, the report adds, the Iranians never gave a real reason for all this.

The report also mentions Iranian production of fast electronic detonators necessary to ignite a chain reaction in an implosion-based atomic bomb, as opposed to explosion-based weapons. These detonators are known as “exploding bridgewire detonators”, and are capable of producing powerful currents with very precise timing, very quickly. The Iranians, in response to IAEA probes, said that they developed the detonators “for peaceful and conventional-military purposes, unrelated to nuclear weapons.” An agency report reveals, however, that two Iranian scientists presented a policy paper in 2005, during a scientific convention in Tehran, in which they went over the features of the so called “self developed” detonators. The same paper was presented at an international convention in late 2005. IAEA experts came to the conclusion that the Iranians may have received the information from an outside source. After continued pressure by the agency the Iranians presented, in 2008, a “scientific document” proving that according to foreign sources the detonators are, in fact, used only for civilian purposes.

IHLS – Israel Homeland Security

In order to verify the Iranian claims, agency representatives consulted experts from countries possessing nuclear weapons and asked for their opinions on the matter. According to the experts these detonators are used to ignite detonation in a type of nuclear bombs, and that’s their only purpose. Further questions posed to the Iranians yielded answers such as “we don’t know which type of bombs the detonators are used for.”

An agency report exposing Iranian missile activities mentioned Iranian scientists working for years and years to solve two problems involving launching missiles with nuclear warheads. The first: How to miniaturize the bomb in order to fit into a intercontinental ballistic missile warhead, such as Shihab 3. The second: How to encase the bomb in a special container that would prevent possible damage to the warhead from the high temperatures caused by air friction during flight. According to the report the Iranians digitally simulated nuclear launches 14 times as part of the manufacturing process.

More information given to the agency by the unknown source clearly shows that the Iranians were assisted in this matter by highly experienced foreign nuclear scientists, who clearly relied on the vast knowledge possessed by their country of origin. Agency inspectors studied every scientific article published by the relevant foreign scientists and interviewed them all. The final IAEA report mentioned that agency inspectors exposed this activity using three different sources, including the foreign scientist himself. They found out that the scientist stayed in Iran since 1996 and even gave lectures on the electric detonators’ physics. When IAEA inspectors presented this information to the Iranians, the Islamic Republic regime refused to discuss it and continued to claim that these are “peaceful” technologies. It should be mentioned that according to the Iranians themselves these devices were manufactured in an Iranian research institute, but despite repeated requests the Iranians never allowed any visits to the manufacturing areas. The report also mentions the various evasion tactics used by Iran. When the plans of the electric detonators were presented, for example, they claimed that they are “animated”, not real plans.

At the end of the day, and according to freely available information, Iran’s final goal should be clear: Nuclear weapons, not peace nor energy production. These weapons are to be mounted on warheads capable of threatening not only Israel, but the entire Middle East and parts of the west.