• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Iran Says It Identified Cause Of Natanz 'Incident' But Won't Disclose It

By RFE/RL July 03, 2020

Iran's top security body said the cause of an "incident" at one of the country's nuclear facilities has been determined, but it declined to release details, citing security reasons.

"Investigations by relevant bodies have accurately determined the cause of the accident" at the Natanz nuclear-enrichment facility in central Iran, a spokesman for the Supreme National Security Council said on July 3.

"Due to certain security concerns the cause and details of this accident will be announced at the proper time," Keyvan Khosravi said.

Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said the incident happened on July 2 at an "industrial shed" under construction at the nuclear complex.

The affected building was above ground and not part of the enrichment facility itself, spokesman Behruz Kamalvandi said, adding that there was "no need for concern" over the incident.

The governor of Natanz City, Ramazanali Ferdowsi, was later quoted as describing the incident as a fire.

Reuters cited three unidentified Iranian officials as saying they believed the fire was the result of a cyberattack, without citing any evidence.

One of the officials reportedly said the attack had targeted a centrifuge assembly building, referring to the machines that enrich uranium, and that Iran's foes had carried out similar acts in the past.

Hours after the announcement on July 2, state news agency IRNA published an editorial addressing what it called the possibility of sabotage by "hostile countries," especially Israel and the United States.

There was no previously announced construction work at the facility, Iran's main uranium-enrichment center located some 250 kilometers south of Tehran. The complex includes underground facilities built under some 7.6 meters of concrete to offer protection from air strikes.

Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been visiting Natanz to monitor uranium-enrichment activities since Tehran and world powers signed a nuclear agreement in 2015.

The United States withdrew from the deal in May 2018 and reimposed crippling sanctions that have battered the Iranian economy.

Meanwhile, Tehran has been progressively breaking the restrictions laid down in the accord.

With reporting by AFP, AP, Reuters, dpa, and RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-says-it- identified-cause-of-natanz-incident-but- won-t-disclose-it/30705022.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.