Following the CTBTO's Nov. 3 to Dec. 9, 2014 Integrated Field Exercise (IFE14) in Jordan's Dead Sea region, experts from around the world and across the Middle East gathered in Ramat-Gan, Israel from April 12-16 for the first of two workshops to evaluate the results.
Around 100 experts specializing in nuclear physics, geophysics, seismology, communication, health, safety, and verification-related areas from 30 countries participated.
The field exercise was designed to replicate a scenario in which a country has been accused of conducting a nuclear test and the on-site inspection team organized by the CTBTO must find evidence to either repudiate or validate this claim and find the origins of any suspected nuclear test explosion. IFE14 was the largest field exercise to date. See Arms Control Today for more details.
"Iran took part in the drill. Egypt was part of this drill. I think all the Arab countries were represented in Jordan for this exercise," Lassina Zerbo, executive secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), said during a visit to Israel for the workshop.
While in Israel, Zerbo met with Yuval Steinitz, minister of intelligence and strategic affairs, with Shaul Chorey, head of the Israel Atomic Energy Commission, with Tzipi Livni, former minister of justice and foreign affairs, as well as with other high-level officials.