An investigative report published by the Reuters News Agency on Wednesday, June 24, claimed that Iran had been secretly producing aluminium powder for using in missile programme. On the basis of testimony from a former Iranian government official and documents, former senior Tehran official shared with Reuters that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps had been running a facility for the past five years to produce the military-grade material. The facility is located near the city of Jajarm in North Khorasan province in northeast Iran, near the country’s largest deposit of bauxite.

The report states that Iran is secretly producing aluminium powder amidst international sanctions designed to block its efforts to acquire advanced weapon technology.

Aluminium powder is produced from bauxite and is a central ingredient in solid-fuel propellants used for launching missiles.

Reuters has been reviewing documents relating to this aluminium powder producing project since 2011. According to those documents, the Jajarm facility is run by Iran’s Alumina Company, which is a subsidiary of state-owned mines and metal holding company Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organisation (IMIDRO). However, IAC and IMIDRO did not respond to requests for comments relating to this aluminium powder project.

IAC’s website says the company operates a bauxite mine and an aluminium production facility at a complex located about 10 kilometres to the northeast of Jajarm. Bauxite is processed into alumina, which is used to produce aluminium metal. Aluminium powder is made from the metal.

Aluminium powder is used in products ranging from paints and electronics to solar panels and fireworks. Due to its explosive qualities, aluminium powder is also a key ingredient in solid-fuel propellants used to launch rockets and missiles. When mixed with material containing oxygen, a vast amount of energy is released.