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.


Syria army enters Al-Hol camp holding relatives of miltants

Updated 21 January 2026
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Syria army enters Al-Hol camp holding relatives of miltants

  • Al-Hol houses around 24,000 people, including 15,000 Syrians and about 6,300 foreign women and children of 42 nationalities

AL-HOL CAMP, Syria: Syria’s army on Wednesday entered the country’s vast Al-Hol detention camp that houses relatives of suspected Daesh militants, from which Kurdish forces withdrew the day before, according to an AFP journalist at the scene.
The correspondent saw a large number of soldiers open the camp’s metal gate and enter. Al-Hol houses around 24,000 people, including 15,000 Syrians and about 6,300 foreign women and children of 42 nationalities.