Babak Taghvaee, a military expert and Iranian dissident — who had to flee the country — says the country’s military council have a long-term aim for nukes.
Speaking exclusively to Daily Star Online from his home in Malta, Taghvaee said the Iranian regime will either build its own nuclear missiles or buy them from its ally Kim Jong-un.
“The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Council (IRGC) has a long-term plan for nuclear ballistic missiles,” he said.
“If Iran wants these missiles it could have them tomorrow. They could get them from North Korea.
“They can import them because the regime has very good ties with North Korea.”
And he argued Iran is already developing missiles similar to those of Kim Jong-un’s regime in Pyongyang.
“For example,” he said, “the Khorramshahr Medium-Range Ballistic Missile first tested by Iran in January 2017 — this is just an Iranian version of the North Korean Hwasong-10.
“Everything that North Korea does, they do in Iran also.”
Taghvaee claims Iran is looking to exploit the chaos in neighbouring Syria and bolster its ageing military forces.
“The Iranian air force is weak,” he said, “it’s very old, it can’t protect the regime.
“So they need the nuclear ballistic missile.”
Taghvaee, before leaving Iran for Malta, was locked up by the regime in September 2012 and spent some time in various jails, including Tehran’s notorious Evin prison.
Although Taghvaee warns Iran could buy the nukes it needs tomorrow, he says that it is most likely to happen after current Iranian president Hassan Rouhani steps down.
“After Rouhani steps down, the IRGC want an aggressive hardliner,” Taghvaee said.
His comments come at a time of increased tensions in the region.
Source » dailystar