Exclusive: Iran’s Secret Nuclear Development Activities Exposed at Key Space Program Sites
A clandestine agency within Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics has been uncovered, advancing the country’s nuclear ambitions under the guise of its space program. This report highlights the alarming findings regarding the intersection of Iran’s nuclear and aerospace initiatives.
Covert Operations Within Space Program Facilities
For years, Iran has obscured significant elements of its nuclear development activities by embedding them within ostensibly commercial space ventures. This strategy has intensified scrutiny, as concerns grow that Iran’s space program may function as a façade for technologies that could be repurposed for nuclear weapons development.
According to information acquired by Fox News Digital, the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND)—the principal agency charged with nuclear development—has been operating at two key facilities that were previously designated for space activities. These revelations, derived from detailed intelligence gathered over several months, raise critical questions about Iran’s clandestine operations.
The Role of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), an opposition group based in Washington, D.C., and Paris, first revealed these concerning findings. Their exclusive report details that SPND has expanded its nuclear warhead development activities at the Shahrud Space Center and the Imam Khomeini Spaceport in Semnan, with intelligence shared through trusted sources within the Iranian regime.
Shahrud Space Center: A Dual-Use Development Hub
The Shahrud Space Center, previously associated with ballistic missile development efforts by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has become a focal point for SPND personnel engagement. Alireza Jafarzadeh, deputy director of the NCRI’s Washington office, described this development as a “major red flag” for global security concerns.
This facility gained international notoriety in 2022 when Iran successfully launched the Ghaem-100 rocket, a vehicle capable of deploying low-orbit satellites into space. However, analysts assert that the Ghaem-100 may serve dual purposes: as both a satellite launch vehicle and a ballistic missile with a range extending nearly 1,400 miles—a significant enhancement compared to its predecessor, the Qased rocket.
More troubling are allegations that SPND experts are actively modifying the Ghaem-100 for nuclear warhead compatibility, projecting an extended operational range surpassing 1,800 miles. This would enable the use of mobile launch platforms, enhancing the regime’s strategic offensive capabilities. Rigorous security measures at Shahrud mandate that personnel park at external checkpoints, where they are subsequently transported to the facility by the IRGC.
Further complicating the narrative, the NCRI contends that the Ghaem-100 project has been heavily influenced by North Korean missile technology, underscoring Iran’s intent to manufacture a missile system primed to accommodate a nuclear payload, under the supervision of IRGC Brigadier General Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam, the architect of Iran’s missile program.
Semnan: Iran’s First Spaceport with Dual Intent
Moving to the Imam Khomeini Spaceport in Semnan, this site has recently captured attention following Iran’s launch of its heaviest rocket, deploying a payload of 660 pounds using liquid propellant technology. The NCRI claims this same technological framework is now being repurposed to develop sophisticated missile systems, including the Simorgh rocket, designed to deliver nuclear warheads over a range exceeding 1,800 miles.
While liquid fuel rockets present more complex engineering challenges than solid propellant systems, they offer improved thrust, power, and precision, making them highly favorable for military use. The establishment of a Space Command within the IRGC’s Aerospace Force has allowed Iran to mask its nuclear warhead development under the guise of satellite launches, thereby enabling the regime to create independent communication systems essential for guiding these potential weapons.
The Broader Implications for Regional and Global Security
The implications of these revelations are staggering. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently reported that Iran possesses approximately 440 pounds of enriched uranium at 60% purity—dangerously close to the 90% threshold required for weapons-grade material. Analysts estimate that only about 92 pounds of weapons-grade uranium is necessary to construct one nuclear bomb, positing that Iran could theoretically produce around five nuclear bombs if it enhances its existing stockpile.
However, Jafarzadeh strongly emphasized that the potential for uranium enrichment is merely one facet of the broader menace posed by the Iranian regime. He articulated the necessity for the global community to shift its focus beyond merely quantifying uranium enrichment levels to the concurrent development of nuclear warheads and their delivery systems such as ballistic missiles.
“It is naïve to focus solely on the amount or purity of enriched uranium without accounting for the construction of the bomb itself or its delivery systems. All of these elements are essential in giving Iran’s mullahs a fully operational atomic bomb.”
Conclusion: The Global Threat of Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions
The alarming disclosures concerning Iran’s covert nuclear initiatives at the Shahrud Space Center and the Imam Khomeini Spaceport heighten international anxieties about the regime’s strategic aspirations and the broader consequences for global security. With Iran’s technological capabilities advancing at a rapid pace, critical questions arise regarding the timeline for its potential achievement of an operational nuclear arsenal.
As the world watches these developments unfold, the need for vigilant oversight and international collaboration to address the implications of Iran’s nuclear ambitions has never been more urgent.
