The Iranian regime has “intensified” its secretive development of nuclear detonators at covert facilities, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) revealed, citing intelligence that exposes alarming advancements in weaponization technologies.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) issued a stark warning during a Thursday press conference, revealing the Islamic regime’s escalated efforts to advance nuclear weapon technologies. This includes significant developments at the METFAZ facility, a critical division of the Organization for Advanced Defense Research (SPND).
According to the NCRI’s report, these efforts focus on nuclear detonators, specifically Exploding Bridgewire (EBW) devices, crucial for triggering nuclear explosions.
The report highlights that METFAZ’s operations are centered at the newly renamed Meshkat Complex in Sanjarian, a heavily guarded site located roughly 25 miles east of Tehran. It further outlines that the facility is central to manufacturing high-explosive materials under the guise of oil industry research conducted by the Arvin Kimia Abzar company, which NCRI asserts is a covert front for military purposes.
The prominent Iranian opposition group’s officials identified key figures in this program, including Saeed Borji, chairman of Arvin Kimia Abzar, and CEO Akbar Motallebizadeh. Both are high-ranking experts in SPND with extensive histories in nuclear weapons projects, including EBW detonators. Borji’s involvement with explosive technologies dates back to his training with Ukrainian scientist Vyacheslav V. Danilenko, highlighting international dimensions to Iran’s nuclear efforts.
“Transparency is non-existent in the regime’s nuclear program,” said Alireza Jafarzadeh, Deputy Director of NCRI’s Washington Office, as he stressed the need for immediate International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections of the Meshkat Complex and other critical sites.
He elaborated:
Specifically, I think the one area that we need to focus [on] is the nuclear weapons program of the regime. I think out of all the other various threats of the regime, whether it’s their proxies and their activities in the region, their warmongering, they have received major blows in those areas. The one area that they’re counting on– and it is crucial for the survival of the regime is their nuclear weapons program of Iran. And that’s where I think the focus should be. They’re more dangerous there than they have ever been. They will go head-on as they are doing. They may avoid taking some precautionary measures that they used to make because they feel like this is the last round. And that’s why I think everyone should be concerned, whether it is the capitals in Europe or right here in Washington. That’s where you want to focus. You wanna make sure that the Iran regime doesn’t get the bomb.
He also warned of the regime’s secrecy and the proliferation of “unknown sites” that complicate oversight.
“But, in reality, there’s so much unknown; there’s so many different unknown sites, that there is really only one sure way to end the threat of the nuclear weapons program of the Iran regime — and that’s ending the rule of the mullahs in Iran,” he added.
The NCRI, which has been instrumental in exposing Iran’s clandestine nuclear activities for over two decades, first revealed the Natanz uranium enrichment site in 2002, leading to international inspections. Their latest revelations spotlight Iran’s continuing nuclear ambitions despite global sanctions and diplomatic efforts to curb weaponization.
The SPND, established under the late Brigadier General Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, is central to these activities. Its subdivisions, including METFAZ, have systematically advanced weaponization components while evading oversight by the IAEA.
During the press conference, the NCRI called for immediate action, including:
- IAEA Inspections: Unrestricted access to the Meshkat Complex and related facilities.
- Reinstatement of Sanctions: Use of the UN Security Council’s snapback mechanism to restore comprehensive sanctions on Iran.
- Increased Scrutiny of Weaponization: Focus on weaponization, not just uranium enrichment levels, in international negotiations.
In a statement to Breitbart News, Jafarzadeh emphasized the secretive nature of Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“There is not a single instance where the Iranian regime has voluntarily come forward and said, ‘This is what we’re doing; this is our activity; this is our program.’ None of that. It has always been covert, and it will always remain covert,” he said. “However, the level of escalation we are witnessing, along with the resources they are now allocating, is a clear indication that they are intensifying their efforts.”
“The regime is focusing on building a bomb as the only means for its survival,” he added.
Soona Samsami, NCRI’s U.S. representative, emphasized the regime’s reliance on deception to obstruct verification efforts by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
“While global attention remains fixated on uranium enrichment levels, the Iranian regime is covertly advancing the weaponization aspect of its nuclear program,” she noted.
Maryam Rajavi, NCRI’s President-elect, reiterated the importance of a non-nuclear Iran, emphasizing that regime change through internal resistance offers the only sustainable solution.
The revelations underscore the urgent need for the international community to prevent the Iranian regime from acquiring nuclear weapons and address its longstanding policy of denial and deception.
The events come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Iranians to rise up against their government, amid reports of Israeli plans to target Iran’s nuclear program following the collapse of the Assad regime and its air defenses.
Massive protests that erupted in Iran in 2022, have led to documented abuses by the regime, growing international criticism, and support for a democratic republic, highlighted by a bipartisan U.S. resolution endorsing Rajavi’s “Ten Point Plan” for a free, secular, and non-nuclear Iran.
The NCRI has long warned that Iran — the largest state sponsor of terrorism worldwide — is witnessing a revolution “in the making,” with the Islamic Republic no longer capable of containing widespread dissent.
In October, hundreds of prominent world leaders and legislators convened at the NCRI headquarters on the outskirts of Paris to attend the group’s 2024 Free Iran World Summit and express support for the organization’s efforts in support of a free Iran.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.