The significant damage that has been reported at the Natanz nuclear site in Iran was caused by an Israeli explosive device, a Middle Eastern intelligence official has told the New York Times newspaper
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th July, 2020) The significant damage that has been reported at the Natanz nuclear site in Iran was caused by an Israeli explosive device, a middle Eastern intelligence official has told the New York Times newspaper.
On Sunday, officials in Tehran confirmed that a fire at the Natanz uranium enrichment plant had caused significant damage and would result in delays to the site's construction.
Speaking to the newspaper on the same day, the intelligence official said that Israel was responsible for the planting of an explosive device at the site, which detonated causing damage. The newspaper also cited a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who said that explosive materials were used.
In a radio interview on Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that not every event that takes place in Iran is necessarily linked to Israel.
Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said on Sunday that Tehran will continue to construct the facility, despite the damage caused by the fire. The spokesman added that the blaze occurred in a building that was being used to develop high-performance centrifuges.
On Monday, Kamalvandi told Iran's state-run IRNA news agency that the reconstruction at the damaged site will get underway with an even bigger plot of land for special equipment. The spokesman also confirmed that there were no casualties during the accident, but added that financial losses were high.
Moreover, the secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) announced that the official cause of the incident was known, but will be revealed at a later date due to security concerns.
