Iran Reportedly Developing Nuclear-Capable Missile

Intelligence indicates that a covert Iranian program known as “Project 111” includes plans to arm Shahab 3 missiles with nuclear warheads, Reuters reported yesterday.

The European Union, Israel and the United States believe the assessment is accurate, said an EU diplomat, while an Iranian official denied the charge.

The Washington Post last month described Project 111 as “a nuclear research effort that includes work on missile development.”

However, one expert cautioned that the intelligence is based on assessments rather than known facts.

“I don’t think any of the available intelligence represents a smoking gun,” said David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran, an exile group opposed to the current regime, said yesterday that Tehran was also working on producing Ghadr missiles with a range of up to 3,000 kilometers.

Meanwhile, a German government source said intelligence officials are sending “early warning letters” to German firms, urging them to beware of Iranian agents seeking missile technology (Louis Charbonneau, Reuters, March 6).