Thread by @StrickerNonpro

Regarding Iran nuclear site claims this morning from NCRI: what we know about the described sites and/or their activities.

Newly revealed facility in Sorkheh-Hessar region - an administrative-appearing building allegedly used by an SPND Geophysics Group, the "Chamran Group" 1/

Allegedly the team carries out research related to underground nuclear tests, geophysics, and seeks an underground tunnel. Allegedly it has illicitly procured ground penetrating radar and seismometers from abroad. 2/

The site is located south of the Iran Aerospace Organization, and north of the Khojir missile site; this is an area controlled by IRGC. Images show construction began in May 2012, allegedly the Chamran group began using the building in 2017. 3/

Purportedly, the group was originally stationed at Lavisan-Shian, which was relocated to the Mojdeh site in 2008, and the identities and commutes of the personnel are kept secret. 4/

The Chamran Group's existence is known. The U.S. Treasury Dept sanctioned the group in 2019:

"Shahid Chamran Group’s work has included studies on electron acceleration and mass transfer..." 5/

Treasury: "This SPND subordinate group (Chamran) also has conducted research for SPND related to electromagnetics, pulse power, and wave generation." home.treasury.gov/news/press-rel…

Chamran Group's work is discussed in the Iran nuclear archive's Project Midan: developing and building an underground nuclear test site. @TheGoodISIS & @FDD described how Chamran authored a "long report that evaluates the theoretical aspects of building a nuclear test site." 7/

The Chamran Group's report "assessed the depth a shaft needed to be for a particular explosive yield, the behavior of the ground and soil during drilling and an explosion, the methods of back filling a shaft after the emplacement of a nuclear device, and software development." 8/

Chamran also considered different software to assist Project Midan: those with applications in "geotechnical analyses of soil, rock, groundwater, constructs, & ground support, engineering design, safety prediction," and others.

isis-online.org/uploads/isis-r… 9/

NCRI also provided new info about Marivan, aka Abadeh. The IAEA requested access to the site in January 2020 because of info in the nuclear archive pointing to Iran using it for high explosive tests relating to nuclear weapons. Iran recently permitted access and sampling. 10/

The nuclear archive revealed that the site is one called Marivan, which the IAEA first described in 2011. @TheGoodISIS documented the location of high explosive tests, photographic evidence, and equipment used at the site.

isis-online.org/isis-reports/d… 11/

NCRI states the area surrounding Marivan is IRGC-controlled; it was built under the direction of Ali Shamkhani, former Min. of Defense & Logistics and current secretary of the Supreme National Security Council; the site is METFAZ-linked and its code name was/is "Ahmad-Abad." 12/

Allegedly Sa’id or Saeed Borji, an explosives and metals expert, had a presence at Marivan. Borji is "suspected to have links to high explosive work at Taleghan, aka Parchin."

isis-online.org/isis-reports/d… 13/

Saeed Borji conducted research work on nanodiamonds, related to Iran's development of a multipoint initiation system for nuclear weapons.

isis-online.org/isis-reports/d… 14/

Borji was sanctioned by the Treasury Dept along with the Chamran Group in 2019, as well as Borji's home entity, the Shahid Karimi Group. This group is "an SPND subordinate group that works on missile and explosives-related projects..." 15/

Treasury: "The Shahid Karimi Group has conducted weapons systems, materials, and explosion research on behalf of SPND."

Thus, Borji's presence at Marivan would not be surprising, if true.

home.treasury.gov/news/press-rel… 16/

This is only some of what we know about SPND's Chamran Group, the Marivan site, Saeed Borji, and the projects they worked on. Interested readers should check out the reports and press releases above, and feel free to add on. 17/