| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
It is possible that Iran has covertly acquired a very small number of nuclear weapons and that these have been tested by North Korea. There are an increasing number of reports to this effect going back to 2007 when the London Daily Telegraph reported that with North Korean help Iran could obtain a "low-grade device-less than half a kiloton-within 12 months." According to The New York Times concerning the 2013 North Korean nuclear test, a senior Obama administration official concluded that "it's very possible that the North Koreans are testing for two countries." A.Q. Kahn proliferated detailed technical information not only on the original Chinese CHIC-4 nuclear weapons design but also on a smaller version of the design tested by Pakistan in 1998. If Iran has covertly acquired nuclear weapons, they are likely to be very few in number and low yield. There may still be time to prevent the development by Iran of an extensive nuclear weapons capability but the continuation of the current ineffective diplomacy will not do it.
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