Alireza Jafarzadeh: Iran’s purchase of Deuterium, Fox News Channel

 

Fox News Live

Monday, September 6, 2004

 

Iran’s Nuclear Concerns

 

 

Martha MacCallum: Well, Iran is now acknowledging its plans to enrich some forty tons of uranium which could be used to produce nuclear weapons and now there’s word that Tehran may have obtained a substance called Deuterium that could bring them closer to making weapons of mass destruction. With me now to discuss is Fox News foreign affairs analyst, Alireza Jafarzadeh.

 

 

Martha MacCallum: Good to have you with us as always sir.

 

Alireza Jafarzadeh: Good to see you Martha.

 

Martha MacCallum: I understand that this is some major news in terms of their ability to produce nuclear weapons.  Tell us first, and we’re going to put up a full screen while you’re talking about it, what is Deuterium? 

 

Alireza Jafarzadeh: First Martha, this is a significant development and Iran has acquired Deuterium which they have not announced.  The reason that it is significant is that Deuterium is a substance that can have two purposes.  One, it could be used for boosting nuclear explosions; it has been used for nuclear warheads.  Second, it’s a material that is necessary for running their heavy weather facility in Arak.  Now the importance of it is that when you have a heavy weather program it gives you an alternate path to obtaining fissile material that enables you to get plutonium directly separate from the path they were pursuing which is enriching uranium.  

 

Martha MacCallum: So it would be easier for them to cover what they maybe doing, which is what they say they’re not doing which is producing nuclear weapons.

 

Alireza Jafarzadeh:  They have always been pursuing everything under different covers, in fact the way they obtain this material from one of the former Soviet Republics was under the cover of a company called “New Industry Working Path” this is how the name translates.

 

Martha MacCallum: Let’s talk a little bit about the delivery systems that could be used there are a number of missiles which you have been keeping an eye on. Tell us about those.

 

 

Alireza Jafarzadeh: Well Iran has already decided what kind of delivery system they are going to use once they complete their nuclear weapons program. Their missiles are known as Shahab missiles. You can see one of the pictures of them. This is Shahab-3 missile. Shabah-3 has a range of 800 miles; the more advanced version of it has a range of 880 miles. They displayed in a parade last September about half a dozen of it. They have dozens of them already. They are working on Shahab-4 and Shahab-5 which have a longer range that would get them to Western Europe and they can even go Intercontinental.

 

Martha MacCallum: And they could clearly hit Israel with the 3 and 4 version, correct?

 

Alireza Jafarzadeh: A number of Middle Eastern capitals including Israel’s is already in the range of Shahab-3.


Martha MacCallum: We don’t have as much time as I would like but tell me a little bit about, there is an IAEA meeting coming up on September 13th.  Some countries, Britain, France, Germany have been encouraging Iran to explain what they are up to here but not to put too much pressure on them in terms of sanctions. What do you expect out of that meeting?

 

 

Alireza Jafarzadeh: I think these recent developments clearly indicate that the US should pursue a very hard policy at the IAEA meeting. I think the US is in a very good position now to argue against the Europeans that “look, everything you suggested we did that and look what Iran is doing.” They are defying everything that they even committed themselves to it. So this is the time for the US to pursue referral of Iran’s file to the UN Security Council and at the same time tighten the screws on the political side by expressing support for opposition groups who are trying to bring about regime change in Iran.

 

Martha MacCallum: Alright,  Alireza Jafarzadeh, I know we will talk about this more. Thank you for being here.

 

Alireza Jafarzadeh:  Thank you, Martha.

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