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Israeli Analysts Say Incident At Nuclear Facility A Message To Iran


Centrifuge machines are seen in Natanz uranium enrichment facility, November 3, 2019
Centrifuge machines are seen in Natanz uranium enrichment facility, November 3, 2019

Israeli media have widely covered recent mysterious explosions in Iran, especially those related to the Islamic Republic's military and nuclear installations, reflecting analysts' assessments of the incidents.

A mysterious explosion or fire in the early hours of July 2 destroyed a building at Natanz enrichment facility and many believe it was an Israeli operation, whether through a cyberattack or some sort of air strike. There have also been other mysterious explosion and fires both at military and vital economic facilities.

In one of the essential analysis, Israel's Channel 13 TV military analyst Alon Ben-David cited the country's officials as saying the explosion at Natanz nuclear facility has postponed Tehran's efforts to enhance its uranium enrichment capacity by two months.

"The facility, where Iran develops its more advanced centrifuges, took a substantial hit; the explosion destroyed the lab," Ben-David said, adding, "Those were centrifuges that were supposed to be installed underground at the Natanz facility; they were intended to replace the old centrifuges and produce a lot more enriched uranium, a lot more quickly."

An award-winning Israeli journalist and military analyst Ron Ben-Yishai also told Channel 13 TV that by using the new generation of centrifuges Iran could have acquired a nuclear bomb with staggering speed, within weeks or months.

"Tehran has received and understood the message," Ben-Yishai maintained.

According to the Israeli commentator, whoever is focusing on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program has tried to relay a message to Tehran, and saying, "Stop enriching uranium more than the level set in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. Stop building new, faster centrifuges and stop developing long-range missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads."

Ben-Yishai believes that Israel and the United States are at the top of the list of countries attempting to disrupt Tehran's nuclear program, followed by countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Elsewhere in his remarks, the analyst has stressed Israel's role in recent fires and explosions, asserting "the series of explosions and mysterious fires in Iran is not a coincidence" and "it will definitely intensify."

Furthermore, Ben-Yishai believes that the conflict between Islamic Republic and Israel over Tehran's nuclear program has reached a new and dangerous stage.

Based on photos published by Iran Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) and Google, nuclear experts' initial assessment verifies that one building at Natanz facility was badly hit.

Ben-Yishai has also listed an explosion at Sina Athar Medical Center in northwestern Tehran, on June 30, as one of the recent mysterious incidents in Iran. The fire and explosion in the medical center killed nineteen and injured fourteen.

Referring to Iran's nuclear documents "obtained by Mossad," Ben-Yishai maintained, "The Islamic Republic has already carried out some of its nuclear activities "in civilian institutions and the heart of residential areas and buildings in Tehran."

Officials in the Islamic Republic have not yet formally accused Israel of being involved in the latest incidents.

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