News / Nuclear Energy

Official: No evidence to show that Natanz incident was deliberate act

Thursday, 02 July 2020 12:46 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 02 July 2020 7:48 PM ]

This photo taken on July 2, 2020, shows the damage done to an under-construction shed at Iran’s Natanz nuclear complex in the central part of the country. (via Nournews.ir)

An informed Iranian security official says there is no evidence to show that an incident earlier today at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility has been an act of intentional sabotage.

The official, who spoke to Press TV on the condition of anonymity on Thursday, further added that ‎a thorough investigation is currently underway to determine the exact cause of the incident at ‎Natanz facility.

The security official’s remarks came after the spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Behrouz Kamalvandi, said earlier the same day that the incident at Natanz facility had caused no damage to the main uranium enrichment facility.

“One of the sheds under construction in the open area of the Natanz site suffered damage this morning following an incident that is being investigated,” he noted.

According to Kamalvandi, the incident caused no casualties and did not affect the activities at the complex.

The Iranian official also ruled out the possibility of contamination in the aftermath of the incident, saying expert teams of the AEOI were present at the scene to investigate its causes.

He emphasized that the damaged site was inactive and did not contain any radioactive material and none of the personnel of the AEOI were present there.

“Of course, there has been material damage to the site and we are currently assessing the damage,” Kamalvandi said.

Natanz is a uranium enrichment center located in the city of the same name in Esfahan Province, some 250 kilometers south of the capital, Tehran.

It is among the sites now being monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency under a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and five other countries.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk