Damghan

Category: Chemical

Location: One source reports a warhead assembly plant located in Damghan between the Semnan and Shahroud missiles complexes to the east of Tehran. The city of Damghan is located near a dry lake approximately 375 miles to the southwest of Mashad, or 300km east of Teheran.
Size: Unknown
Primary Function: Reported research on weaponization of CBW agents; houses munitions-filling factory/ies (155mm artillery shells and Scud warheads).

History: According to the Federation of American Scientists, there are uncorroborated reports that Iran had a chemical weapons plant in operation at this location as early as March 1988.

Activities: According to several sources, Iran's primary suspected chemical weapons production facility is located in the city of Damghan. In addition, US experts believe that Iran has at least one chemical warhead assembly plant near Damghan. Middle East Defense News reports (spring 1988) claimed that "neuro-toxic" warheads (presumably nerve agent-type) were being assembled for Iran's Scud-B missiles at Damghan between the Semnan and Shahroud missiles complexes to the east of Tehran. Finally, in March 1988, Die Welt reported that, according to Iraqi intelligence, Iran had converted a medical factory in the area of Damghan into a CW munitions production factory.

In a 1995 Special Report, Jane's Intelligence Review noted that the Damghan facility is suspicious because "it has several characteristics of chemical weapon plants: isolation, links to transportation lines, and security. The facility at Damghan is hidden by trees, downwind of town, surrounded by fallow fields and linked to the railroad by a spur." The report states that in addition to the claims of 155mm shells, the facility also has loaded Scud-B warheads with nerve gas. The missile assembly facility is just 130km away and is connected by the same rail line.