English
The prime reason behind the Iran-Israel conflict is Tehran’s nuclear program. It is the reason why Israel launched deadly airstrikes and missile barrages. Interestingly, the nuclear program, which is at the heart of the ongoing war, was not built by Iran. The Middle Eastern country acquired crucial information, technology, and expertise from another country, effectively buying it into existence.
It all started before the world grew concerned about Tehran’s uranium enrichment at Natanz. The country had already found a shortcut – thanks to a Pakistani nuclear scientist named Abdul Qadeer Khan, who is a hero in Pakistan but infamous worldwide for running a dangerous black-market nuclear network.
Khan sold centrifuge designs, crucial parts and blueprints of the nuclear bomb to Iran, which he stole from Europe. He sent Pakistani-made components to Iran through secret routes in Malaysia and Dubai. It is a fact that Iran’s nuclear program grew from Khan’s underground network.
Abdul Qadeer Khan was a Pakistani metallurgist who stole nuclear bomb from Europe and built Pakistan’s atomic bomb. He later shared the knowledge, creating the world’s most dangerous black market for nuclear technology — one that gave Iran much more than just ambition.
How It All Started?
In the early 1970s, AQ Khan initiated his involvement in nuclear technology while employed by Urenco, a European nuclear consortium. During this time, he obtained and replicated confidential centrifuge blueprints. He subsequently returned to Pakistan in 1975 possessing this sensitive information.
Abdul Qadeer Khan’s work on Pakistan’s uranium enrichment program at Kahuta brought him national fame. However, his actions contradicted the global efforts towards nuclear non-proliferation.
Between the 1980s and 1990s, Khan built a secret pipeline and started his wrongdoings by operating through shell companies and middlemen. The network built by Khan smuggled crucial nuclear equipment, blueprints to several countries. Iran was one among these countries.
The most crucial sale happened in 1987 when Iranian officials met Khan’s middle men in Dubai received the initial package consisting of centrifuge blueprints, a roadmap to enrichment, and assembly manuals. These were based on P1 and P2 centrifuges, the same models through which Pakistan developed its bomb.
One Of The Biggest Exposes
In 2003, the seizure of a Libya-bound ship carrying centrifuge components matching A.Q. Khan’s designs by US and British forces exposed a significant element of his nuclear proliferation network. This discovery prompted Libya to dismantle its nuclear weapons program and triggered the wider dismantling of the network.
Thorough Investigations conducted by IAEA and Western intelligence revealed that Khan sold crucial information and materials to North Korea and Iran. Documents seized from Iranian facilities had Pakistani signatures.
What Did Iran Get?
For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest World News on India.com.
