BICOM

Pictures of an Iranian launch site apparently indicate that it is likely to have been designed to launch ballistic missiles and not to accommodate a domestic satellite programme as claimed by Tehran.

The images were published and analysed in Jane’s Military and Security Assessments and depict a 23m tall launch tower and a 125m long exhaust deflector. Matthew Clements, the editor of the publication said that the facility, situated twenty five miles south-east of the city of Shahrud “is most likely used for testing ballistic missiles.” He explained that the location made it suitable for testing rockets and “we can’t see any storage facilities for the liquid fuel needed for the rockets that launch satellites, suggesting it will be used for solid-fuel ballistic missiles.”

Meanwhile, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday warned that since the election of Iran’s new President Hassan Rowhani, considered by some to be a moderate within Tehran’s clerical regime, Iran has installed seven thousand uranium-enriching centrifuges. Netanyahu said, “I know that some [people] place their hopes on Iran’s new president. He knows how to exploit this and yesterday he called for more talks,” but that “while everybody is busy talking to him, he’ll be busy enriching uranium.” May’s quarterly report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) revealed that Iran is continuing to increase its stockpile of twenty percent enriched uranium, considered just a small step away from weapons grade quality material. The next IAEA report is expected to be published within the coming weeks.

Former-IDF intelligence chief Amos Yadlin also spoke yesterday saying that “The American stance on an Israeli strike against Iran has changed dramatically recently.” Yadlin, who is thought to be close to the United States’ defence establishment said that “In 2012 the [Americans’] red light was as red as it can get,” and now “the light hasn’t changed to green…but it’s definitely yellow.”