Tel Aviv. Intelligence organizations in the West are closely following the shipments of aluminum powder from Venezuela to Iran. Aluminum powder is produced from bauxite and is a central ingredient in solid-fuel propellants used for launching missiles.

An investigative report published by Reuters in June this year claimed that Iran had been secretly producing aluminum powder for using in its missile program.

Israeli sources say that the sanctions posed on Iran made it very difficult for the Iranian facilities that were built as part of the country’s ballistic missile program to produce enough aluminum powder and that Teheran has been looking for outside sources.

The focus on Venezuela revealed that an Iranian ship carrying a cargo of pineapple and mango from Venezuela has also been carrying a hidden shipment of aluminum powder that could be used to produce solid fuel for ballistic missiles.

This ship is currently under constant surveillance by some intelligence organizations.

According to a report written by Israeli Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), Iran’s ballistic missile program is a major threat to the West Asia and beyond.

Iran already has operational missiles with ranges of 1,500 to 2,500 km that can reach targets in the West Asia, and Southeast Europe. In addition, it has been working on extended range versions with 3,000 km range.

-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist