A-test site east of Tehran

Iran puts finishing touches on a desert A-test site east of Tehran

DEBKAfile Special Report

July 18, 2009, 11:18 AM (GMT+02:00)

Kavir Lut: Iranian desert site for coming A-test

DEBKAfile's military sources reveal that Iran is in the last stages of construction of a nuclear test site in the Kavir Lut desert between Tehran and its eastern border with Afghanistan. The work is managed by the Iranian experts invited to attend North Korea's nuclear test this year.

Two diplomats attached to the UN nuclear watchdog agency in Vienna confirmed to AP Saturday July 18 that Iran now has the means to test a weapon within six months.
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A new way to pressure Iran

By Olivier Guitta

After the much dubious Iranian presidential elections and the popular revolt that ensued, the European Union took the lead in supporting the people of Iran. Most vocal were France and the UK compared to the tepid U.S. reaction. The Iranian regime did not wait long to blame the West and tension has escalated since local personnel from the British embassy in Tehran were detained by Iranian authorities. The EU is envisioning withdrawing all 27 ambassadors to Iran to protest. And it might be onto something…

Former French president Jacques Chirac told The New York Times in Jan. 2007 regarding sanctions, “The question is how can we impose sufficiently strong constraints on Iran. This is a difficult issue. One has to know what Iran can withstand or not. Iran has a regime that is still a bit fragile, a bit fragile. The last elections proved in particular that the President did not have all the authority one could have expected. This somewhat fragile regime is afraid. Afraid of what? Afraid of being contested.
What does it want? It wants to maintain the regime of the mullahs. To maintain the regime of the mullahs, it needs to not be contested or threatened by the international community”.
Iran is now being hit by this double whammy: domestic revolt and international isolation. But in order to increase pressure the EU and other Western nations should break off diplomatic relations with Tehran following the example of what France did in 1987-1988.

July 18, 2009 11:47 AM Link

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