Germany expelled Iranian diplomat
Germany reportedly expelled an Iranian diplomat in July after he tried to purchase equipment for his country's nuclear program.
The attache at Iran's embassy in Berlin was reported to have been in contact with a specialist firm in the southern German state of Bavaria, Der Spiegel reported.
"The consular attache Mohraramalai D. made contact with a Bavarian firm of specialists, apparently trying to buy a piece of equipment which could also be used in uranium enrichment," the weekly magazine reported.
It was not clear whether the component could have been used for high-grade uranium enrichment for bombmaking; or, for low-grade enrichment, which Tehran says it carries out for civilian purposes.
A joint statement recently from European Union leaders called on Iran to provide "full, clear and credible answers" to the International Atomic Energy Agency to resolve unanswered questions about its nuclear program.
A U.S. National Intelligence Estimate report released earlier this month indicated that Iran had halted its nuclear weapons program in late 2003 amid international pressure, but warned that Iran could build a nuclear weapon between 2010 and 2015.
Germany expelled an Iranian diplomat in July after he tried to acquire components for the Islamic Republic's disputed nuclear programme, a magazine reported on Saturday.
The Der Spiegel weekly said the expulsion came after the diplomat contacted a specialist firm in the southern state of Bavaria to buy a systems control component which would be essential in the enrichment of uranium.
The magazine cited no sources but identified the consulate attache involved as "Mohraramali D".
The Foreign Ministry declined to comment. Authorities in Tehran were not immediately available to comment.
The magazine did not say whether the component would have been for high-grade enrichment, for bomb material, or low-grade enrichment, which Iran says it carries out to make power plant fuel.
Iran denies it wants a nuclear bomb and says its atomic work is aimed at boosting civilian power generation.
The U.N. Security Council has imposed sanctions on Iran for failing to comply to demands to suspend its uranium enrichment, a process the West believes Tehran is trying to master to enable it to build nuclear weapons.
European Union leaders on Friday reiterated their support for possible additional sanctions against Iran if it does not stop enrichment work. The EU has also offered support if Tehran does give it up.
However, a U.S. National Intelligence Estimate this month said Iran had stopped its nuclear weapons programme in 2003.
Germany expelled an Iranian diplomat in July after he tried to purchase equipment for his country's controversial nuclear program, a German news magazine reported on Saturday, Dec. 15.
The report, which the German weekly Der Spiegel released in advance of its publication on Monday, said the man was ordered to leave the country in July, but the case had not been disclosed until now.
The German Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the report.
The diplomat, an attaché at Iran's embassy in Berlin, was reported to have been in contact with a specialist firm in the southern German state of Bavaria.
"The consular attaché Mohraramalai D. made contact with a Bavarian firm of specialists, apparently trying to buy a piece of equipment which could also be used in uranium enrichment," the magazine said.
What kind of enrichment?
Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Iran claims it wants to use its nuclear reactors for peaceful purposes
The magazine did not say whether the component could have been used for high-grade enrichment, for bomb material, or low-grade enrichment, which Iran says it carries out to make power plant fuel.
But it quoted a German government report which said that Iran "keeps trying intensively to procure military goods and technology of all kinds from western industrial states."
Uranium exists naturally as an ore. For it to be used as a source of nuclear energy or in atomic explosions, scientists need to separate out two of its isotopes, uranium-238 and uranium-235, and boost the concentration of the latter, highly fissile, isotope. This process is called enrichment.
Western nations have been calling on Iran to halt uranium enrichment, which they fear could lead to it making atomic weapons. Tehran, on the other hand, claims its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
Renewed sanctions warning
Bildunterschrift: The UN Security Council voted unanimously to expand sanctions against Iran in March
EU leaders reiterated on Friday their support for possible additional sanctions against Iran if it fails to give up nuclear enrichment work.
A joint statement from leaders of the 27-member block meeting in Brussels called on Iran to provide "full, clear and credible answers" to the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to resolve questions about its nuclear activity.
They added that the council of member states "reiterates its full support to the work in the UN Security Council to adopt further measures" and said a decision would be taken at the next meeting of EU foreign ministers due on Jan. 28, in the light of upcoming decisions in the UN Security Council.
The EU warning came despite a US National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) report earlier this month claiming Iran had halted its nuclear weapons program in late 2003. NIE cited "moderate confidence" that the program had not been restarted as of mid-2007.
Tehran could have the technical ability to build a nuclear weapon between 2010 and 2015, but "we do not know if it currently intends to develop nuclear weapons," the report stated.
The attache at Iran's embassy in Berlin was reported to have been in contact with a specialist firm in the southern German state of Bavaria, Der Spiegel reported.
"The consular attache Mohraramalai D. made contact with a Bavarian firm of specialists, apparently trying to buy a piece of equipment which could also be used in uranium enrichment," the weekly magazine reported.
It was not clear whether the component could have been used for high-grade uranium enrichment for bombmaking; or, for low-grade enrichment, which Tehran says it carries out for civilian purposes.
A joint statement recently from European Union leaders called on Iran to provide "full, clear and credible answers" to the International Atomic Energy Agency to resolve unanswered questions about its nuclear program.
A U.S. National Intelligence Estimate report released earlier this month indicated that Iran had halted its nuclear weapons program in late 2003 amid international pressure, but warned that Iran could build a nuclear weapon between 2010 and 2015.
Germany expelled an Iranian diplomat in July after he tried to acquire components for the Islamic Republic's disputed nuclear programme, a magazine reported on Saturday.
The Der Spiegel weekly said the expulsion came after the diplomat contacted a specialist firm in the southern state of Bavaria to buy a systems control component which would be essential in the enrichment of uranium.
The magazine cited no sources but identified the consulate attache involved as "Mohraramali D".
The Foreign Ministry declined to comment. Authorities in Tehran were not immediately available to comment.
The magazine did not say whether the component would have been for high-grade enrichment, for bomb material, or low-grade enrichment, which Iran says it carries out to make power plant fuel.
Iran denies it wants a nuclear bomb and says its atomic work is aimed at boosting civilian power generation.
The U.N. Security Council has imposed sanctions on Iran for failing to comply to demands to suspend its uranium enrichment, a process the West believes Tehran is trying to master to enable it to build nuclear weapons.
European Union leaders on Friday reiterated their support for possible additional sanctions against Iran if it does not stop enrichment work. The EU has also offered support if Tehran does give it up.
However, a U.S. National Intelligence Estimate this month said Iran had stopped its nuclear weapons programme in 2003.
Germany expelled an Iranian diplomat in July after he tried to purchase equipment for his country's controversial nuclear program, a German news magazine reported on Saturday, Dec. 15.
The report, which the German weekly Der Spiegel released in advance of its publication on Monday, said the man was ordered to leave the country in July, but the case had not been disclosed until now.
The German Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the report.
The diplomat, an attaché at Iran's embassy in Berlin, was reported to have been in contact with a specialist firm in the southern German state of Bavaria.
"The consular attaché Mohraramalai D. made contact with a Bavarian firm of specialists, apparently trying to buy a piece of equipment which could also be used in uranium enrichment," the magazine said.
What kind of enrichment?
Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Iran claims it wants to use its nuclear reactors for peaceful purposes
The magazine did not say whether the component could have been used for high-grade enrichment, for bomb material, or low-grade enrichment, which Iran says it carries out to make power plant fuel.
But it quoted a German government report which said that Iran "keeps trying intensively to procure military goods and technology of all kinds from western industrial states."
Uranium exists naturally as an ore. For it to be used as a source of nuclear energy or in atomic explosions, scientists need to separate out two of its isotopes, uranium-238 and uranium-235, and boost the concentration of the latter, highly fissile, isotope. This process is called enrichment.
Western nations have been calling on Iran to halt uranium enrichment, which they fear could lead to it making atomic weapons. Tehran, on the other hand, claims its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
Renewed sanctions warning
Bildunterschrift: The UN Security Council voted unanimously to expand sanctions against Iran in March
EU leaders reiterated on Friday their support for possible additional sanctions against Iran if it fails to give up nuclear enrichment work.
A joint statement from leaders of the 27-member block meeting in Brussels called on Iran to provide "full, clear and credible answers" to the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to resolve questions about its nuclear activity.
They added that the council of member states "reiterates its full support to the work in the UN Security Council to adopt further measures" and said a decision would be taken at the next meeting of EU foreign ministers due on Jan. 28, in the light of upcoming decisions in the UN Security Council.
The EU warning came despite a US National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) report earlier this month claiming Iran had halted its nuclear weapons program in late 2003. NIE cited "moderate confidence" that the program had not been restarted as of mid-2007.
Tehran could have the technical ability to build a nuclear weapon between 2010 and 2015, but "we do not know if it currently intends to develop nuclear weapons," the report stated.