Iran tried to acquire technology that could be used for a military nuclear program, calling into question whether it is living up to an international agreement intended to curb such an effort, according to Germany’s domestic intelligence service.
The intelligence report from the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution found that despite the deal Iran has continued its “illegal proliferation-sensitive procurement activities” at a “quantitatively high level.”
“This holds true in particular with regard to items which can be used in the field of nuclear technology,” the report added.
But the State Department said it has no indication Iran is violating the deal.
“We have no information to indicate that Iran has procured any materials in violation” of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as the Iran agreement is formally known, said State Department spokesman John Kirby, who added that the German report covers 2015 and makes no distinction between the periods before and after the nuke deal.
“More generally, the IAEA has reported that Iran continues to implement its nuclear-related commitments under the deal,” he added. “We understand that Germany shares this view and is not suggesting that Iran has violated its JCPOA commitments … We have no indication that they are violating the deal, and the deal has never been about trust, it’s never been about spirit it’s never been about how we feel about Iran, it’s about them meeting their commitments and they are meeting theirs and we are meeting ours…this is not about touchy feely.”
The Institute for Science and International Security also issued a report Thursday asserting that Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization had attempted to acquire carbon fiber, a key element in centrifuge construction. The report said Iran did not inform the international community of its effort despite its obligation to do so under the terms of the nuclear deal.
The German intel report issued last month also said it had “registered a further increase in the already considerable procurement efforts in connection with Iran’s ambitious missile technology program.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticized Iran for its clandestine efforts Thursday, telling the German parliament that Iran’s missile program continued “unabated” despite it being “in clear contradiction to the relevant provisions of U.N. Security Council.”
In her speech, Merkel linked Iran’s continued pursuit of missile technology to efforts by NATO to establish missile defense systems in Eastern Europe, such as the ground based system launched in Romania in May.
Iran’s ballistic missile program has also drawn international criticism, with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon writing in a new confidential report that said the country’s actions were “not consistent with the constructive spirit” of the nuclear deal, according to a Reuters report.