U.S. Is Aware Of Secret Iranian Facility That Is Part Of Its Claudestine Nuclear Program

US Secretary of State John Kerry arrives for testimony before a Senate committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, February 24, 2015. Press TV

Washington Free Beacon: Kerry: U.S. Aware of Illicit Iranian Nuke Facility

Secret facility disclosed by Iranian opposition group

Secretary of State John Kerry admitted before Congress on Wednesday that the United States is aware of a secret Iranian facility that an Iranian opposition group identified this week as part of an undisclosed parallel nuclear program.

The group, the National Council of the Resistance of Iran (NCRI), has a history of disclosing the existence of Iranian nuclear facilities that the United States has been later forced to confirm were indeed part of a clandestine nuclear program.

Previous Post: Has A Secret Iranian Nuclear Weapons Complex Been Discovered?

Update #1: John Kerry: U.S. looking into dissidents’ claims of new Iranian nuke cheating -- Washington Times
Update #2: U.S. looking into NCRI’s revelation of secret Iran nuclear site, Kerry says -- NCRI

WNU Editor: So why is the U.S. still negotiating? You just cannot make up this stuff.

Has A Secret Iranian Nuclear Weapons Complex Been Discovered?

Washington Post: Exile group accuses Iran of secret nuclear weapons research

An Iranian exile group on Tuesday accused Iran’s government of conducting secret research with the aim of developing nuclear weapons, even as it is negotiating potential constraints on its ability to do so.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran said underground labs in suburban Tehran have been used since 2008 to enrich uranium. It said the plant, named Lavizan-3 after the neighborhood where many officers and their families live, is reached through tunnels leading from under a building ostensibly used to process passports and identity cards.

WNU Editor: The NCRI has its critics ..... New Iran reactor revelations highlight role of Iranian opposition group (Middle East Eye) .... but over the years the NCRI has correctly disclosed secret Iranian nuclear sites .... so this report has to be taken seriously. What is more revealing is that it would be very easy for Iran to discount these claims by simply sending international inspectors to the site that is being claimed .... but as in the previous cases where sites were discovered .... Iran is not obliging but instead is pursuing the policy of criticizing the messenger .... Iran Rejects Washington Post Report on Secret Nuclear Program (Tasnim).

More News On Reports Of Another Secret Iranian Nuclear Weapons Complex Being Discovered

Iranian Resistance reveals secret nuclear site in Iran used for uranium enrichment with advanced centrifuges -- NCRI
Group: Iran Operating Top Secret ‘Parallel Nuclear Program’ -- Washington Free Beacon
Iran opposition unveils 'secret' Tehran nuclear site -- AFP
Iran pursuing nukes in underground complex despite talks with West, dissident group claims -- FOX News
Iranian Dissidents: Iran Has a Secret Underground Nuke Site -- Arutz Sheva
Dissident Group Claims Iran Operating Another Hidden Nuke Facility -- The Tower
Iran hiding a secret nuke site, a dissident group alleges -- Ya Liban
New Iran reactor revelations highlight role of Iranian opposition group -- Middle East Eye
Iran group's 'secret nuclear site': Legitimate or effort to derail talks? -- Howard LaFeranchi, CSM

Did A CIA Sting Operation Plant Evidence Implicating Iran In A Nuclear Bomb Program?

The Parchin site in Iran is seen in this satellite image on Dec. 9, 2012. AEA inspectors don’t only rely on spy data, according to one of the diplomats, who pointed to the agency’s assessment of Iran’s Parchin Military complex, where the country is alleged to have tested high explosives. Satellite imagery analysis and open-source data also play roles, the person said. Source: DigitalGlobe via Getty Images

Bloomberg: CIA’s Nuclear-Bomb Sting Said to Spur Review in Iran Arms Case

(Bloomberg) -- Details of a 15-year-old Central Intelligence Agency sting emerging from a court case in the U.S. may prompt United Nations monitors to reassess some evidence related to Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons work, two western diplomats said.

International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors in Vienna will probably review intelligence they received about Iran as a result of the revelations, said the two diplomats who are familiar with the IAEA’s Iran file and asked not to be named because the details are confidential. The CIA passed doctored blueprints for nuclear-weapon components to Iran in February 2000, trial documents have shown.

“This story suggests a possibility that hostile intelligence agencies could decide to plant a ‘smoking gun’ in Iran for the IAEA to find,” said Peter Jenkins, the U.K.’s former envoy to the Vienna-based agency. “That looks like a big problem.”

Update #1: 'CIA sting against Iran's nuclear program could prompt IAEA reassessment' -- Jerusalem Post
Update #2: CIA-planted ‘evidence’ may force IAEA review of Iran’s alleged nuke arms program – report -- RT

WNU Editor: Not surprising .... Iran has seized this story to defend its nuclear program .... CIA sought to mislead IAEA on Iran’s nuclear program: Documents (Press TV).

Iran And Russia Agree To The Construction Of Eight Nuclear Reactors

Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant. (screen capture: YouTube/Nuclear Threat Initiative)

Russia, Iran Sign Nuclear Construction Deal For 8 Units -- RT

Russia is to build eight nuclear power units in Iran, as a new partnership agreement, guaranteed by the IAEA, was signed in Moscow on Tuesday.

The head of the Rosatom, Sergey Kirienko, and the chief of the Atomic Energy Agency of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi, signed a series of documents, promoting the links in the field of peaceful application of atomic energy between the countries, RIA Novosti reports.

According to the agreement, Russia is to construct eight units with pressurized water reactors “turn-key ready” in Iran. Four of them will be built at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, also completed by Russia a year ago.

Read more ....

More News On Reports That Iran And Russia Have Agreed To The Construction Of Eight Nuclear Reactors

Iran, Russia sign deal to build more nuclear power plants -- Press TV (Iran)
Russia, Iran sign nuclear construction deal -- Reuters
Iran orders two new nuclear reactors from Russia -- AFP
Russia to Build More Nuclear Reactors in Iran -- AP
Russia to build 8 new nuclear power units in Iran -- ITAR-TASS
Russia Signs Nuclear Reactor Deal With Iran -- WSJ
Deals Call For Russia To Build Eight Nuclear Reactors In Iran -- Radio Free Europe
In Moscow, Russia and Iran sign nuclear reactor deal -- Deutsche Welle
Russia wades deeper into Iranian nuclear waters -- UPI

Iran's Nuclear Stockpile Is Growing

A general view of the Bushehr main nuclear reactor, 1,200 km (746 miles) south of Tehran, August 21, 2010. Credit: Reuters/Raheb Homavandi

Iran's Uranium Stockpile Grows Before Deadline For Nuclear Deal -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Iran's stockpile of low-enriched uranium gas has grown by 8 percent to nearly 8.4 tonnes in about two months, U.N. atomic inspectors say, an amount world powers probably will want to see cut under any nuclear deal with Tehran.

The International Atomic Energy Agency issued a confidential report on Iran to IAEA member states on Friday, less than three weeks before a Nov. 24 deadline for Iran and six world powers to resolve their stand-off over Tehran's atomic activities.

Iran's holding of refined uranium gas is one of the factors that could determine how much time it would need for any attempt to assemble nuclear weapons. Iran says it has no such goal but the West wants verifiable action by the Islamic Republic to make sure it cannot produce an atomic bomb any time soon.

Read more ....

Update #1: U.S. think-tank says Iran may have violated nuclear deal with powers -- Reuters
Update #2: Report: Iran Nuclear Program More Advanced than Previously Believed -- Washington Free Beacon

My Comment: As long as Iran continues with this type of policy .... U.N. Report: Iran Stalling Probe Into Nuclear Weapons Research .... any hope of a deal will be just a waste of time.

Update #3: Iran says nuclear deal within reach by November 24, no alternatives -- Reuters

Iran Claims To Have Foiled A Bid To Sabotage Its Nuclear Heavy-Water Tanks

A general view of the Arak heavy-water project, 190 km (120 miles) southwest of Tehran January 15, 2011. Credit: Reuters/ISNA/Hamid Forootan

Iran Says Foils Bid To Sabotage Nuclear Heavy-Water Tanks: Newspaper -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Iran has foiled an attempt to sabotage tanks used for transporting heavy water, which is needed to run some nuclear reactors, and blames a "foreign country" for the incident, a senior official was quoted by local media as saying.

The Islamic Republic is at odds with the West over suspicions it is covertly using its declared civilian atomic energy program to develop a nuclear arms capability. It denies this and has repeatedly accused certain Western states of trying to cripple the program through acts of sabotage.

Asghar Zarean, deputy chief in charge of nuclear protection and security at Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, was quoted by the Tehran newspaper Arman as saying the bid to damage tanks at the Arak heavy-water production plant occurred two weeks ago.

Read more ....

Update: Iran foils attempt to sabotage nuclear heavy-water tanks -- Jerusalem post

My Comment: An explosion at the Parchin military site a few weeks ago ... where a suspected nuclear weapons research program is underway .... and now this .... attempts to stop Iran's nuclear program is stepping up.

Iran Admits That It Is Testing New Nuclear Enrichment Processes

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi reacts upon his arrival to attend the official opening ceremony for the new headquarters of the Iranian embassy in Amman, May 7, 2013. Credit: Reuters/Majed Jaber

Iran Says Tested New Nuclear Enrichment Machine, May Irk West -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Iran has conducted "mechanical" tests on a new, advanced machine to refine uranium, a senior official was quoted as saying on Wednesday, a disclosure that may annoy Western states pushing Tehran to scale back its nuclear programme.

Iran's development of new centrifuges to replace its current breakdown-prone model is watched closely by Western officials. It could allow the Islamic Republic to amass potential atomic bomb material much faster.

Tehran says its nuclear programme is peaceful and that it produces low-enriched uranium only to make fuel for a planned network of atomic energy plants. If processed to a high fissile concentration, uranium can be used for nuclear weapons.

"Manufacturing and production of new centrifuges is our right," Iranian atomic energy chief Ali Akbar Salehi said.

Read more ....

More News On Iran's Nuclear Program

Iran develops new generation of centrifuges: AEOI chief -- Press TV (Iran)
Iran Is Testing A Uranium-Refining Machine Amid Negotiations Over Its Nuclear Program -- Business Insider
Report: Iran redesigning reactor as part of deal -- Washington Times
Nuclear chief: Iran ready to launch new generation of centrifuges -- APA

My Comment: This is not what I would call forward progress in getting an Iranian nuclear deal.