Columbia International Affairs Online
CIAO DATE: 6/5/2006
Iranian Nuclear Weapons? The Uncertain Nature of Iran's Nuclear Programs
Anthony H. Cordesman, Khalid R. Al-Rodhan
April 2006
Abstract
There is no simple or reliable way to characterize Iran's ability to acquire weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them. Iran is clearly attempting to acquire long-range ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, but it has never indicated that such weapons would have chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) warheads. Iran has never properly declared its holdings of chemical weapons, and the status of its biological weapons programs is unknown.
There have been strong indications of an active Iranian interest in acquiring nuclear weapons since the time of the Shah, and that Khomeini revived such efforts after Iraq invaded Iran and began to use chemical weapons. There is, however, no reliable history of such efforts or "smoking gun" that conclusively proves their existence.
