Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said on Sunday that “sabotage” was the cause of an explosion that damaged the Natanz nuclear facility last month.
“Security investigations confirm that this was sabotage and what is certain is that an explosion took place in Natanz,” spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA. “But how this explosion took place and with what materials … will be announced over time by security officials.”
Iran said after the July 2 incident that it had determined its cause, but refused to release details due to “security concerns”.
Nature director Ramezan-Ali Ferdowsi said a fire broke out at the site, but the country’s nuclear agency said it did not cause any casualties or radioactive contamination.
Iranian officials said the fire had caused significant damage that could have delayed the development of advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges. The Natanz uranium enrichment site, much underground, is one of several Iranian facilities controlled by inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said on Saturday that he would make his first trip to Tehran on Monday in that role to pressure Iran to give inspectors access to two suspected former nuclear sites.
The IAEA suspected activities possibly related to the development of nuclear weapons were carried out at these sites in the early 2000s. Iran notes that its nuclear program has no military dimensions.
In September last year, the Islamic Republic resumed uranium enrichment at the Natanz complex in central Iran.
At the time of the fire, IRNA published an editorial warning the arch-enemy of Iran against hostile actions, saying that unnamed Israeli social media accounts claimed that the Jewish state was behind it.
The incident came six days after an explosion near a military complex rocking Tehran. That explosion in the Parchin area southeast of the Iranian capital was due to “leaking gas tanks,” the defense ministry said.
Uranium enrichment was restored after the United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018 from an international agreement that gave Iran relief from sanctions in exchange for sidewalks on its nuclear program.
Iranian officials said on Sunday that Grossi’s attempt was unrelated to US pressure on the UN Security Council to re-impose international sanctions on Tehran, state TV reported.
Agence France-Presse and Reuters contributed to this report
