Iranian uranium-enriching facility 'is damaged by explosion'

[bananas]

Source: London Times

An explosion is believed to have damaged Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility, which is being used to enrich uranium, Israeli intelligence officials have told The Times. Sources in Tel Aviv said yesterday that they thought the explosion happened last week. The Israeli Government is investigating reports that it led to extensive structural damage and 200 workers had been trapped inside.

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 Fordow plant is buried deep underground...

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Read more: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/middleeast/article3670109.ece

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This is the first major news source claiming confirmation from official sources.

[librabear]

1. I wonder why we can't get decent news here in the states....

[madokie]

2. Here is why

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022271620

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Iran Rejects Report of Blast at Nuclear Site as Propaganda

Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said a report of a blast at its Fordo nuclear site was “absolutely incorrect,” the Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

“The false report of an explosion in the Fordo site is western propaganda ahead of the nuclear negotiations in order to impact the talks,” Seyyed Shamseddin Barbardoudi, the deputy head of Iran’s atomic agency, was quoted as saying by IRNA late yesterday. “No explosion has occurred at Fordo.”

Masoud Jazayeri, a spokesman for the joint chiefs of staff of Iran’s armed forces, also denied the explosion claim, according to a report today by the state-run Iranians Students News Agency.

In a Jan. 24 report, the WorldNetDaily said an explosion occurred last week at Fordo, which is built inside a mountain outside the Iranian capital, destroying part of the installation and trapping some 240 employees underground. It cited a former Iranian intelligence ministry official, Hamidreza Zakeri.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-01-28/iran-rejects-report-of-blast-at-fordo-nuclear-site-as-propaganda

And that may explain why major US news sources haven't been reporting this - any story that starts at World Nut Daily has to be regarded with extreme scepticism.

[bemildred]

4. Yawn. Sorry I have complete emotional burnout about Iran.

Every day, it's the same babble, invented, exaggerated, distorted, or spun.

[ROBROX]

5. REVIEW PROCESS MAY BE IN ERROR

During the past week I have noted a few items which seem to stretch the truth. I had hoped this web site reviewed items before listing the items to be read and reviewed.

I worked at LLNL. I entered and worked in the PLUTONIUM BUILDING many times. Metal zippers on clothes and women's bra would set off the metal detectors. In this day and age all worker are scanned for weapons and explosives. One labor was STOPPED because his work truck registered explosives. It turns out he had moved fertilizers and this chemical with NITROGEN registers as an explosive. This chemical processing lab would have some interesting chemicals which combined could have a hazardous AFFECT.

I can see a double agent getting inside the underground work area, but taking enough explosives or coordinating the MIXING of the correct chemicals to cause and explosion is VERY interesting.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. The London times is still on the right of the spectrum

Not even Debka File is touching this...though will check again.

[MinM]

7. IAEA Dismisses Reports of Explosion at Iran’s Fordo

The International Atomic Energy Agency has dismissed Israeli and Western media reports claiming there had been an explosion at the Fordo uranium enrichment facility and stated that it had seen no sign of such an event at the Iranian nuclear site.

On Tuesday, IAEA spokeswoman Gill Tudor told The Associated Press that Iran’s denial of “an incident” at the Fordo plant is “consistent with our observations.”

On Monday, Iran categorically rejected the reports about an explosion at the Fordo nuclear facility.

MP Alaeddin Boroujerdi, who is the chairman of the Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, described the news stories as Western propaganda designed to influence the upcoming round of talks between Iran and the P5+1 group (Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States, and Germany).

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/01/30/286272/iaea-dismisses-reports-of-fordow-blast/