Iran expands weaponization capabilities critical for employing nuclear bomb

In recent years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been actively pursuing the development of a nuclear weapon. This includes stockpiling enriched uranium to near-weapons grade purity and expanding its covert actions to enhance its weaponization capabilities. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), an opposition organization based in D.C. and Paris, has obtained information that suggests Iran has renewed efforts to advance its ability to detonate a nuclear weapon.

At the forefront of Iran’s detonators program is an organization called METFAZ, which stands for the Center for Research and Expansion of Technologies on Explosions and Impact. The NCRI has been monitoring METFAZ’s activities, particularly at the Sanjarian site, which was once a key nuclear facility under Iran’s Amad Plan. The site was largely inactive between 2009 and late 2020 due to international pressure on Iran’s nuclear program. However, renewed activity has been observed at the site since October 2020, with top nuclear experts visiting regularly since April 2024.

One of the key figures involved in the Sanjarian site is Saeed Borji, an executive of the front company Arvin Kimia Abzaar, which claims to be affiliated with the oil and gas industry. Borji has been a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps since 1980 and has long headed METFAZ. METFAZ falls under Iran’s Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research, which is responsible for spearheading Iran’s nuclear development.

Iran has a dozen sites dedicated to nuclear development, research, and heavy water production across the country. The NCRI has also found that METFAZ has expanded its activities at the Plan 6 complex in Parchin, where explosive tests and production take place. Parchin was targeted in Israel’s October 2024 strikes, destroying multiple buildings within the complex.

Iran’s nuclear program operates under layers of deception, using privately owned companies, false operations, and ambiguity to evade detection. This makes tracking Iran’s nuclear program challenging for agencies like the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The NCRI’s findings reveal that Iran lacks transparency in its nuclear program and is rapidly moving towards building a nuclear bomb.

Despite the lack of transparency, the IAEA has yet to inspect the Sanjarian site or Parchin’s Plan 6. The NCRI’s revelations highlight the urgent need for international scrutiny of Iran’s nuclear activities to prevent the regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon.