Western intelligence agencies believe that the Syrian government has renewed its nuclear program at an underground facility outside the city of Qusayr, called Marj as-Sultan. Intelligence documents suggest that Syria is storing some 8,000 fuel rods at the facility, which may also house a reactor or an enrichment plant. Members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and North Korean engineers are believed to be involved in construction at the facility.
News Briefs
December 30, 2014
The U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on nine Iranian entities for their role in supporting Iran's efforts to avoid sanctions and in backing the Iranian government's human rights abuses. Five individuals and one entity were targeted for helping the Iranian government buy or acquire U.S. currency, including Hossein Zeidi, Seyed Kamal Yasini, Azizullah Asadullah Qulandary, Asadollah Seifi, Teymour Ameri, and Dubai-based Belfast General Trading. Asia Bank official Anahita Nasirbeik was designated for supporting the Central Bank of Iran. Douran Software Technologies and Abyssec were designated for their role in supporting Iran's human rights abuses.
-- Reuters
December 9, 2014
British businessman Gary Summerskill, of Cambridgeshire, England, has agreed to pay £68,000 in fines related to charges against him involving the unauthorized export of alloy valves to Iran. Summerskill, through his company Delta Pacific Valves Limited, exported three shipments of alloy valves valued at £3.4 million to Iran without the proper export authorization. These shipments were routed through Hong Kong and Azerbaijan in order to evade detection. In March 2014, Summerskill was sentenced to 30 months in jail following an investigation by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC). His company, Delta Pacific, was fined £225,000 at that time.
-- The Export Practitioner
November 18, 2014
The New York State Department of Financial Services imposed a $315 million penalty on the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ for misrepresenting the extent of its business with Iran and "misleading regulators". This action follows a separate settlement reached with New York regulators in 2013. At that time, the bank was fined $250 million for routing transactions with Iran and other restricted countries through New York. However, the consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, which investigated and assessed the misconduct, was accused of "improperly altering" its report under pressure from the bank. The firm was fined $25 million for doing so in August by the New York regulator.
-- New York Times
November 17, 2014
According to the German Federal Customs Service's investigative unit (ZKA), Iran has sought to buy components for its nuclear program on the German market over the past few months. Using front companies to conceal its activities, Iran has successfully purchased sanctioned goods in some cases. ZKA chief Norbert Drude reported that over two-third of the investigations undertaken by Customs in 2012 and 2013 involved Iran. This story was first reported by the German daily Der Tagesspiegel on November 16.
-- Jerusalem Post
November 11, 2014
Russia has agreed to construct eight nuclear reactors in Iran. The nuclear energy agreement was signed by Rosatom General Director Sergey Kirienko and Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Chief Ali-Akbar Salehi. The agreement includes the construction of two VVER nuclear reactors at the Bushehr site in the short-term; two further reactors at Bushehr in the medium-term; and plans for four VVER reactors at a new site. The deal may also include a seawater desalination plant. The protocol requires that Rosatom provide the nuclear fuel throughout all stages of the fuel cycle for the eight reactors, and that used fuel be returned to Russia for reprocessing and storage.
-- World Nuclear News
November 11, 2014
A new book asserts that the Stuxnet worm that attacked Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment facility entered the plant by first infecting four companies that were performing contracting work there. The book, "Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon," was written by Wired reporter Kim Zetter. Zetter claims that the companies, which were all involved in industrial control systems, were likely to have been targeted because of their access to Natanz. The companies were identified as Foolad Technic Engineering Co., Behpajooh Co. Elec & Comp. Engineering, Neda Industrial Group, and Control Gostar Jahed. In addition, Kala Electric, a producer of uranium enrichment centrifuges, was named Kaspersky Lab, a computer security firm, as a fifth company likely targeted by the computer worm.
-- Ars Technica
October 6, 2014
Two workers were killed after an explosion at a military explosives factory near the Parchin military base southeast of Tehran. Iran's Defense Industries Organization (DIO) said the cause was a fire. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) suspects Iran has conducted research relevant to nuclear weapons at the Parchin site. IAEA inspectors have not been allowed to inspect the facility since 2005.
-- Jerusalem Post
September 21, 2014
Two Chinese Navy warships docked at the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas in advance of four days of joint naval exercises in the Persian Gulf. One of the vessels, the Changchun, is a guided-missile destroyer. According to Iranian media, the joint exercises will focus on safety and anti-piracy operations. A Chinese fleet commander said the visit was intended to "enhance exchanges between our two countries' navies."
-- New York Times
September 6, 2014
Iran failed to address concerns about the possible military dimensions of its nuclear program by an August 25 deadline, according to an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report. Specifically, Iran did not provide the IAEA with information regarding experimentation with high explosives and calculations on nuclear detonation yields. Discussions on these two issues only began at an August 31 meeting in Tehran.
-- Reuters