German Intelligence Agency Says Iran Seeks to Develop its Nuclear Program

Tehran was seeking to acquire weapons of mass destruction technology and ballistic missile systems in 2019, a German state intelligence agency has confirmed.

Saarland’s Department for the Protection of the Constitution said Iran was one of three foreign counties that had sought to advance its weapons of mass destruction program on German soil.

Several intelligence reports from different states have affirmed Iran’s attempts to purchase components used in the development of nuclear and missile weapons during 2019.

Each of the 16 German federal states has its own domestic intelligence services, which issues an annual report documenting threats to the state’s democratic system.

For instance, a 181-page report by Baden-Wurttemberg's state intelligence agency stated that “countries like Iran, Pakistan and North Korea are making efforts to optimize corresponding technology.”

“They aim to complete their arsenals, improve range, applicability and effectiveness of their weapons and develop new systems,” the report noted.

Also, a report on the proliferation of atomic, biological and chemical weapons from Baden-Wurttemberg's state intelligence agency revealed how these countries continue to make illegal procurement efforts in Germany to perfect the range, deployability and impact of their weapons.

Previous reports by other state-level domestic intelligence agencies working within Germany’s federal system have, in recent years, reported that Iran has used its spy networks to advance its nuclear weapons program.

The Jerusalem Post reviewed the 112-page intelligence report, which was released last week and dubbed “Overview of the situation,” addressing security threats faced in 2019 by the small west-German state Saarland.

“Iran, Pakistan and to a lesser extent Syria, made efforts to procure goods and know-how for the further development of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems,” wrote Saarland’s intelligence officials, in an indication to the capability to launch missiles.

The US and many Gulf nations believe that the Iranian regime has been seeking for many years now to develop nuclear weapons.

The Post contacted the Saarland domestic intelligence agency regarding the nature of the illicit proliferation material that Iran sought in 2019.

Katrin Thomas, the spokeswoman for the domestic intelligence agency, replied by an email on Friday that “the Protection of the Constitution in Saarland does not pass on any information on the activities of groups or individuals.”

According to the report, the intelligence services of these countries are present with varying staffing levels “at the respective official and semi-official representations in Germany and maintain so-called legal residencies there.”