A report of a massive explosion at Iran’s Fordo nuclear facility, first published by World Net Daily last week and based on an Iranian source, has apparently been confirmed by Israeli officials speaking to the London Times.
World Net Daily’s Reza Khalili reported on Jan. 24 that a massive act of sabotage had taken place at Fordo:
An explosion deep within Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility has destroyed much of the installation and trapped about 240 personnel deep underground, according to a former intelligence officer of the Islamic regime.
The previously secret nuclear site has become a center for Iran’s nuclear activity because of the 2,700 centrifuges enriching uranium to the 20-percent level….
The regime believes the blast was sabotage and the explosives could have reached the area disguised as equipment or in the uranium hexafluoride stock transferred to the site, the source said. The explosion occurred at the third centrifuge chambers, with the high-grade enriched uranium reserves below them.
The Times confirmed the report, and subsequent reporting by other outlets has tended to reinforce that confirmation. The Times of Israel quoted acting defense minister Avi Dichter as saying: “”Any explosion in Iran that doesn’t hurt people but hurts its assets is welcome.”
Israel has not claimed responsibility for the explosion, but it is widely believed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would attempt to act unilaterally to destroy the Iranian nuclear program–particularly given the re-election of President Barack Obama, who is reluctant to use force and has just nominated a potential Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel, who has been opposed to sanctions as well.
Note: the Fordo facility is not the one pictured above.