The admission by Steven Lin of Heli-Ocean Technology comes amid a U.S.-led international effort to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Lin said he did not know whether Iran used the parts for military purposes, but he did say they have nuclear applications.

David Albright of the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security said that Iran had tried in vain to procure the transducers in Europe and Canada. However, he said, the existence of the Taiwanese-Chinese connection shows that Iran can get what it needs by tapping alternative sources.

– Associated Press

AFGHANISTAN

Bombs kill 9 troops; U.S. Consulate struck

Roadside bombs have killed eight Afghan soldiers and a U.S. service member in separate incidents in Afghanistan, officials said Friday.

NATO confirmed that the American died Thursday in eastern Afghanistan but provided no other details. Also Thursday, an Afghan army vehicle hit a roadside bomb in the central province of Uruzgan, killing eight soldiers, Afghan army commander Abdul Hamid said.

In western Afghanistan, three rockets were fired Friday night at the new U.S. Consulate office in Herat. No casualties were reported, a police official said, adding that one rocket struck the building housing the consulate. No U.S. staff members were inside at the time, he said.