U.S. defense and intelligence officials believe that Russia has provided Iran with most of the equipment and expertise to build two newly disclosed nuclear sites, the New York Times reported today (see GSN, Dec. 6).  Satellite photographs of the sites indicate they could be used to develop nuclear weapons, the Institute for Science and International Security said last week (see GSN, Dec. 13).

Russia has been involved “in all aspects of the Iranian nuclear program,” including the newly disclosed sites, a Pentagon official said Friday (see GSN, Sept. 3).  With outside assistance, Iran’s uranium enrichment program could produce enough weapon-grade material to create a nuclear weapon within a few years, but without such aid, it could take until the end of the decade, the official added.

While Russia is a U.S. ally, its aid to Iran could jeopardize U.S. nonproliferation goals, a senior Bush administration official said (see GSN, May 21).

“We are in an uncomfortable position where allies we very much need do not see these proliferation dangers the same way we do,” the official said.  “Every week, that is getting more and more obvious,” the official added (David Sanger, New York Times, Dec. 16).

Russian Atomic Energy Minister Alexander Rumyantsev denied yesterday that Russia has helped Iran build the new sites — called Arak, which reportedly includes a heavy-water production plant, and Natanz, which might include a facility to enrich uranium.  Moscow does plan, however, to continue building a nuclear power reactor at Bushehr, Rumyantsev added (see GSN, Oct. 22; Vladimir Isachenkov, Associated Press/Yahoo.com).

Iran has violated no international agreements, Rumyantsev said yesterday.  “You cannot assume anything” from the satellite images of Arak and Nantanz, he said (Sanger, New York Times).

U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Friday that the satellite images indicate that Iran has attempted to hide the sites.  There is evidence that the uranium enrichment plant will eventually be located underground, he said.

“Iran clearly intended to harden and bury that facility.  That facility was probably never intended by Iran to be a declared component of a peaceful program,” Boucher said.  “Instead, Iran has been caught constructing a secret underground site where it could produce fissile material,” he added.

Tehran must fulfill obligations under its safeguard agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, Boucher said, including giving the agency complete information about the design of any new nuclear sites no later than 180 days before starting construction.

“Iran has not accepted that obligation,” he said.  “As a first step, that is something they should do,” he added (U.S. State Department release, Dec. 13).

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