Iran Accelerating Nuclear-Bomb Drive, Exiles Claim

Iran Accelerating Nuclear-Bomb Drive, Exiles Claim

An organization of Iranian exiles has accused Tehran of establishing a new Revolutionary Guard office last year in a bid to more quickly obtain the capacity to build a nuclear bomb, the London Telegraph reported on Tuesday (see GSN, July 17).
Iran established the group of five dozen atomic experts, dubbed the New Defense Research Organization, to pursue objectives critical to establishment of a nuclear-weapon capability, the National Council of Resistance of Iran said. Iran maintains its atomic efforts are strictly nonmilitary in nature.
The team in northeastern Tehran includes seven sections respectively assigned tasks in such areas as preparing nuclear-weapon fuel, readying a bomb trigger and investigating metallic substances involved constructing such arms, according to the dissident group, which contends it has contact with a potent assemblage of political operatives within Iran.