NCRI asserted that Teheran was
conducting nuclear weapons research and development in at least two
facilities near the Iranian capital. The opposition group said the one of
the facilities was operated by the Defense Ministry.
"This site and center are the locations for research and production of
the explosion system of an atomic bomb, which is one of the most important
aspects of the mullahs' nuclear weapons project," NCRI representative Mehdi
Abrishamchi said.
At a briefing on Sept. 24 in Paris, NCRI identified one nuclear weapons
facility as Research Center for Explosion and Impact. The opposition group
said the center, overseen by the Defense Ministry, was located in a building
in Teheran.
Abrishamchi said Iranian engineers were conducting computer simulations
for nuclear weapons research at the unmarked building. He did not elaborate.
Another Iranian nuclear weapons facility was said to be located in the
village of Sanjarian, 40 kilometers east of Teheran. NCRI said the facility
was producing components for testing explosives required for warhead
development. The explosions were said to have been conducted in underground
chambers in the hills near Sanjarian.
Abrishamchi said the latest disclosures were provided by opposition
sources throughout Iran. In 2002, NCRI reported Iran's secret nuclear
program, later confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency.