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An “incident” damaged an under-construction building Thursday near
Iran‘s underground Natanz nuclear enrichment facility, though it did not affect its centrifuge operations or cause any release of radiation, a spokesman said.
The affected building, described as an “industrial shed,” was above ground and not part of the enrichment facility itself, said Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. However, both Kamalvandi and Iranian nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi rushed after the fire to Natanz, which has been targeted in sabotage campaigns in the past.
Outside experts, however, said a building seriously damaged in the fire appeared to be a newly constructed centrifuge construction facility. The state-run IRNA news agency quoted Kamalvandi as saying there was “no need for concern” over the incident.
Fire near underground nuclear enrichment facility: Iran downplays the ‘Incident’
Iranian officials downplayed the incident – the third prominent industrial accident in the country in recent days – though the BBC’s Farsi service said it received an email before the news of the fire was made public from a purported dissident group taking credit for what it said was an attack.
US satellite data showed an explosion or fire large enough to be detected from space breaking out at a building above the underground Natanz nuclear enrichment facility in central Isfahan province just after 2am.
Iran’s top security body said Friday it had determined the cause of an “accident” at a nuclear site but declined to release details, citing security reasons. “Investigations by relevant bodies have accurately determined the cause of the accident at… Natanz nuclear complex,” said a spokesman for Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, referring to one of the country’s main uranium enrichment plants.
“Due to certain security concerns the cause and details of this accident will be announced at the proper time,” state news agency IRNA quoted Keyvan Khosravi as saying.
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Iran nuclear ‘incident’: cause identified but Iran refuses to release details