Parchin

Parchin is an Iranian military complex, located about 30 km southeast of Tehran.

Missile engines
To the northwest of Parchin in the Barjamali Hills, a test range for liquid-propellant missile engines is part of the Shahid Hemat Industrial Group (SHIG) research facility, where signature of engine test stand firing -probably including technology from the Russian SS-4 Sandal missile- was confirmed by an American spy satellite in August 1997.

On December 15, 1997, SHIG conducted at least a sixth 1997 test of an engine needed for an 800-mile range ballistic missile. The test was either sixth or eighth during 1997, according to available intelligence. It is reported the Russian Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute [TSAGI] contracted in early 1997 to build a wind tunnel at SHIG, for both Iranian and Russian missile designers to refine the Shahab-3missile.

IAEA Inspection
On January 13, 2005, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors were allowed access to the Parchin military base as a confidence-building measure. Since 2005, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has requested further inspections of the site, but has been denied access by the Iranian government. One nuclear expert suggested that the IAEA was "stretching its mandate to the limit in asking for access to a military site based on tenuous evidence."

On 8 March 2012, six world powers - the U.S., United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia and China - called on Iran to allow United Nations inspectors to visit the Parchin military site.