There's a potentially worrying, but also highly preliminary story coming beginning to come out of Europe that as far as I can tell hasn't yet made it into any major English-language media.  The Belgian daily Le Soir first reported in their Friday edition that Engineered Pressure Systems International (EPSI) NV, located not far from Antwerp, is under investigation for illegally exporting an isostatic press to Iran.  The EU restricts the export of certain types of isostatic presses because they have potential military applications, including in military aviation and the compacting of nuclear materials. The US implements similar controls.  (For the export control wonks in the audience, the EU and US ECCNs in question are 2B004, 2B104, and 2B204.)

According to Le Soir, the CIA warned the Belgians, whose customs authorities subsequently issued a memo on December 22, 2004 warning that Belgian firms might attempt to export the presses without seeking the requisite export license.  But despite the warning, EPSI is suspected to have shipped at least one press to Iran in January of this year.

In it's own piece, France's Le Figaro quotes the EPSI managing director as saying that the heat and pressure chamber of the press is less than 152 mm in diameter, which would place it under the EU's export control threshold.  Le Soir cites the same manager, but neither paper fully explains the discrepancy between the company's claims and the Belgian authorities' investigation.  Last year the Belgian government refused to grant EPSI a license for the export of a larger model to Iran.

Less than two years ago, France warned members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group that Iran was trying to acquire isostatic presses (among other technologies) and urged them to be vigilant.  Belgium participates in the NSG.

It's also worth noting that EPSI NV has a sister company, Engineered Pressure Systems Inc., based in Massachusetts, which was formerly known as National Forge Pressure Systems Division.  Presumably Export Enforcement will be paying them a visit, if they haven't already.

All of this is uncoiling at a time of EU-US friction over how best to cope with Iran's nuclear ambitions.  We're not there yet, but any solid proof that the EU permitted one of its firms to ship a dual-use item with nuclear applications to Iran even after a warning from the American intelligence community certainly will not warm the hearts of the US officials who've supported EU negotiations with Iran despite a great deal of doubt from certain sectors of the administration.

Comments

[Jo]

Can you back these facts with any concrete evidence, or is it just another political game cooked up for Iran? What about Israel having over 200 nuclear warheads hidden in military bunkers threating its neighbours? Surely the world community should also raise this issue at the United Nation and disarm an unstable and volatile country like Israel!