http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/164645#.UQa7Qh1azoI
Israeli Source Confirms Iran’s Fordow Nuclear Plant Exploded
Israeli intelligence source confirms underground nuclear facility sustained major damage in a “mega explosion” last week.
By Chana Ya'ar
First Publish: 1/28/2013, 11:15 AM
An Israeli intelligence source has confirmed Iran’s Fordow underground nuclear uranium enrichment facility sustained major damage in a “mega explosion” that occurred last week.
Fordow, which contains at least 2,700 centrifuges for uranium enrichment, is located deep beneath a mountain near the Iranian city of Qom.
Some 200 workers were trapped inside the facility at the time, according to a report published Monday by The Times, a UK-based newspaper.
The report quoted an Israeli official as saying “We’re still in the early stages of trying to comprehend what happened and the extend of its significance.” The source added that it was not yet known whether the explosion was “an act of sabotage or incidental.”
The official declined to reveal whether Israeli aircraft had been in the vicinity at the time of the explosion.
From Russia Today :
Contradictory reports of an explosion at Iran’s uranium enrichment site have been emerging. Iran denies it ever happened, calling it “Western propaganda” while Israel confirms it, putting tensions around upcoming nuclear talks.
Reports of the explosion at the underground Fordow plant, near the city of Qom, central-northern Iran, originally surfaced on Friday.
Iran has denied the reports, while Israel and some of US media reported that the explosion occurred and caused significant damage.
The West has maintained that the Fordow plant (which was discovered in 2009) has been producing uranium enriched to 20 per cent fissile purity since late 2011, compared to the 3.5 per cent level required for nuclear energy plants, and has been operating 700 centrifuges there since the start of the year.
While Israeli intelligence has confirmed that the explosion occurred and caused serious damage, but the area had not been evacuated, The Sunday Times reported.
Israel is still in the "preliminary stages of understanding what happened and how significant it is," the UK newspaper quoted one official as saying. It is still unclear whether the explosion was “sabotage or an accident”.
Another source within Israeli intelligence has confirmed the same to The Times of London.
“Israel believes the Iranians have not evacuated the surrounding area. It is unclear whether that is because no harmful substances have been released, or because Tehran is trying to avoid sparking panic among residents,” the source said.
The first to report about the explosion was Reza Kahlili for WND.com. The explosion “destroyed much of the installation and trapped about 240 personnel deep underground” including scientists and workers, many of whom are foreign nationals, Kahlili wrote.
“The blast shook facilities within a radius of three miles. Security forces have enforced a no-traffic radius of 15 miles, and the Tehran-Qom highway was shut down for several hours after the blast,” the report said.
The emergency exits have collapsed at the site and regime fears more loss of life due to possible radiation.
http://rt.com/news/iran-nuclear-explosion-reports-904/
Israeli Source Confirms Iran’s Fordow Nuclear Plant Exploded
Israeli intelligence source confirms underground nuclear facility sustained major damage in a “mega explosion” last week.
By Chana Ya'ar
First Publish: 1/28/2013, 11:15 AM
An Israeli intelligence source has confirmed Iran’s Fordow underground nuclear uranium enrichment facility sustained major damage in a “mega explosion” that occurred last week.
Fordow, which contains at least 2,700 centrifuges for uranium enrichment, is located deep beneath a mountain near the Iranian city of Qom.
Some 200 workers were trapped inside the facility at the time, according to a report published Monday by The Times, a UK-based newspaper.
The report quoted an Israeli official as saying “We’re still in the early stages of trying to comprehend what happened and the extend of its significance.” The source added that it was not yet known whether the explosion was “an act of sabotage or incidental.”
The official declined to reveal whether Israeli aircraft had been in the vicinity at the time of the explosion.
From Russia Today :
Contradictory reports of an explosion at Iran’s uranium enrichment site have been emerging. Iran denies it ever happened, calling it “Western propaganda” while Israel confirms it, putting tensions around upcoming nuclear talks.
Reports of the explosion at the underground Fordow plant, near the city of Qom, central-northern Iran, originally surfaced on Friday.
Iran has denied the reports, while Israel and some of US media reported that the explosion occurred and caused significant damage.
The West has maintained that the Fordow plant (which was discovered in 2009) has been producing uranium enriched to 20 per cent fissile purity since late 2011, compared to the 3.5 per cent level required for nuclear energy plants, and has been operating 700 centrifuges there since the start of the year.
While Israeli intelligence has confirmed that the explosion occurred and caused serious damage, but the area had not been evacuated, The Sunday Times reported.
Israel is still in the "preliminary stages of understanding what happened and how significant it is," the UK newspaper quoted one official as saying. It is still unclear whether the explosion was “sabotage or an accident”.
Another source within Israeli intelligence has confirmed the same to The Times of London.
“Israel believes the Iranians have not evacuated the surrounding area. It is unclear whether that is because no harmful substances have been released, or because Tehran is trying to avoid sparking panic among residents,” the source said.
The first to report about the explosion was Reza Kahlili for WND.com. The explosion “destroyed much of the installation and trapped about 240 personnel deep underground” including scientists and workers, many of whom are foreign nationals, Kahlili wrote.
“The blast shook facilities within a radius of three miles. Security forces have enforced a no-traffic radius of 15 miles, and the Tehran-Qom highway was shut down for several hours after the blast,” the report said.
The emergency exits have collapsed at the site and regime fears more loss of life due to possible radiation.
http://rt.com/news/iran-nuclear-explosion-reports-904/
