Iran admits sabotage caused fire at Natanz nuclear site

A fire at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility last month was the result of sabotage, the spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation told state TV channel Al-Alam. (File/AFP)
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Updated 23 August 2020
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Iran admits sabotage caused fire at Natanz nuclear site

  • Iranian officials said that the fire had caused significant damage
  • Iran's top security body in July said that the cause of the fire had been determined but would be announced later

DUBAI: A fire at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility last month was the result of sabotage, the spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation told state TV channel Al-Alam on Sunday.
"The explosion at Natanz nuclear facility was a result of sabotage operations, security authorities will reveal in due time the reason behind the blast," said Behrouz Kamalvandi.
Iran's top security body in July said that the cause of the fire had been determined but would be announced later.

Iranian officials said that the fire had caused significant damage that could slow the development of advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges.

The Natanz uranium-enrichment site, much of which is underground, is one of several Iranian facilities monitored by inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog.

Some Iranian officials have said the fire may have been the result of cyber sabotage, and have warned that Tehran would retaliate against any country carrying out such attacks.

An article by Iran's state news agency IRNA in July addressed what it called the possibility of sabotage by enemies such as Israel and the United States, although it stopped short of accusing either directly.
Israeli officials declined to comment on Sunday.


Yemen’s STC leader Al-Zubaidi has fled to unknown location, did not board plane to Riyadh: Coalition

Updated 27 min 31 sec ago
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Yemen’s STC leader Al-Zubaidi has fled to unknown location, did not board plane to Riyadh: Coalition

RIYADH: Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, the leader of Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council, has fled to an unknown location and did not board a plane to the Saudi capital Riyadh, where talks with other southern-based factions are set to take place, the coalition to support the legitimate government of Yemen said.

Saudi Arabia offered to mediate between the factions to resolve tensions in the south of the country and both Al-Zubaidi and Yemen’s presidential council leader Rashad Al-Alimi agreed to attend.

A large delegation of STC members did board the flight to Riyadh, the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen said early on Wednesday. 

Al-Zubaidi was due to arrive in the Kingdom on Tuesday but during a 3-hour flight delay, the coalition said that “unjustified field movements” were observed in Aden. 

The coalition said it had been provided with information that Al-Zubaidi has moved a large number of forces toward Dhala.

Last week, the coalition carried a out a “limited” airstrike targeting two shipments of smuggled weapons and other military hardware into Mukalla in southern Yemen.

It said the two vessels entered the port without authorization from either the Yemeni government or the coalition, prompting the port’s closure.

The large quantity of “weapons and combat vehicles to support the Southern Transitional Council forces in the eastern governorates of Yemen” aimed to fuel the conflict, the coalition said.

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