Iran Uses AMD for Rocket Research

A research institute in Iran claims that it built a high-performance computing system using AMD CPUs.

According to a document provided by the Aerospace Research Institute of Iran (ARI), it used dual-core AMD Opteron CPUs to build a high-performance computing (HPC) system for rocket research. Apparently, the SuSE Linux-based HPC system originally booted with 32 cores, but now provides a whopping 96 cores at 192 GFLOPS. The story originally appeared in the print version of Computerworld, and since its publication, the Iranian research facility has removed the documentation and related website.

Outside the obvious issues with rocket research utilizing American technology, the big deal here is that AMD processors are not allowed within Iranian borders due to technology trade embargo. "AMD has never authorized any sales or shipments of AMD products to Iran or any other embargoed country, either directly or indirectly," the company said in a statement.

However, according to Mehdi Noorbaksh, an associate professor of international affairs at the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology in Pennsylvania, Iran buys most of its technology on the black market. "That market provides Iran with what the authorities need for these projects," Noorbaksh said.

The ARI's disclosure is not the first American-embedded device to appear in Iran. Computerworld reports that technology from the U.S. is widely available in the country, and many Iranian firms actually advertise computer components, networking products and even servers from many U.S. vendors on their websites.