Unexplained Explosion Heard Near Iranian Nuclear Site

NEW YORK (VINnews) — A blast was reported Saturday in the vicinity of the nuclear site in Natanz, Iran, according to preliminary reports by student union media outlets.

After the initial reports surfaced , the authorities in the Islamic republic announced that the explosions were part of a test of air defenses’ response to a potential attack.

The explosion was heard in the skies over the Iranian city of Badroud, just 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the nuclear plant, according to a report by the official IRNA news agency

“Badroud residents heard the noise and saw a light which showed an object had just blown up in the skies over the city,” a witness told IRNA.

There were also unconfirmed reports of villages being evacuated in the region of the nuclear site. Some social media sites claimed that the Iranian reports were an attempt to cover up an attack which had taken place on the nuclear installation.

Last week, the London-based Jewish Chronicle stated that the attack on the site in July 2020 was carried out using UAV’s carrying explosives. The newspaper reported that Israel is planning a series of sabotage operations and covert attacks against the nuclear installations in Iran. The newspaper claimed that it received the information from senior Israeli intelligence officials.

The explosion came amid heightened tensions between Iran and world powers, as Tehran continues to race forward with its nuclear enrichment. It came a day after nuclear negotiations were halted in Vienna, with Western countries saying Iran had come to the talks with unrealistic proposals.

In the last few years, the uranian enrichment facilities have been attacked a number of times. In April a mysterious explosion damaged some centrifuges and in July 2020, unexplained fires struck the advanced centrifuge assembly plant, which were later described as sabotage.