The situation in Iran just keeps getting weirder. An explosion apparently rocked the Middle Eastern nation’s nuclear research facility at Esfahan on Nov. 28, according to Australian and Israeli news outlets. This explosion comes only a couple of weeks after a massive explosion at a missile research facility killed the founder of Iran’s missile programs — many claimed that Western and Israeli intelligence agencies were behind that blast.
The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a DC based think tank, just released these pictures showing what may be Iranian efforts to clean up what might be the blast site at a salt mine from the 1980s that is now used for storage that sits next to the Esfahan nuclear research facility. Keep in mind that the nuclear facility has its own network of tunnels, they could easily be linked to the mine.
Press reports indicate that this latest blast may too be the work of saboteurs, per ISIS:
An explosion reportedly occurred on Monday, November 28, 2011 somewhere in or near the city of Esfahan in Iran. The Times reported that the blast occurred at the Esfahan nuclear site and that it has seen satellite imagery that showed “billowing smoke and destruction.” The Times also cites “Israeli intelligence officials” as claiming that the blast was “no accident.” ISIS has acquired DigitalGlobe satellite imagery of the Esfahan nuclear site taken on December 3, 2011 and December 5, 2011. There does not appear to be any visible evidence of an explosion, such as building damage or debris, on the grounds of the known nuclear facilities or at the tunnel facility directly north of the Uranium Conversion Facility and Zirconium Production Plant at the Esfahan site.
It is still unclear where the reported blast occurred in Esfahan and whether it occurred anywhere near the nuclear facility. ISIS has identified a facility near the Esfahan nuclear site that underwent a significant transformation recently.
Click through the jump for before and after pictures of the razed facility.
We may speculate but I doubt we will ever know who or what was behind those blasts.
Theories that come to mind:
Embedded destruct sequences from the STUXNET virus.
Mussad.
Ex-pat Iranians.
Dissident Iranians.
Incompetence.
Accidents.
CIA or Special Forces.
Very cool photos at the link.
Didn’t Obama try to end the spy satellite program when he killed NASA?
I guess a few of them are still up there.
@Nan G: There are plenty of commercial sats up there that can take nice pics of that beauty spot on your left cheek. I’d like to express my dismay that the explosion(s) wasn’t larger.
UpChuck.Liberals
maybe it will be done better in subsequents actions, to learn where the monster is located,
that would be a smart move by smart people interested to get it right.
bye
There was NO explosion , ISIS itself says it has found no evidence .
The bulldozed site is 400 meters away from the actual enrichment facility .
@Martin:
A click-through to the link shows you this bulldozer activity.
But there are no bulldozer marks near the three building complexes that have been flattened.
You can see that for yourself.
1st reports were that the blast could be heard all over the nearest town, Esfahan.
Only later did the official story become ”there was no explosion sound.”
Can you imagine living in that town and having to pretend you didn’t hear what you heard?
@Nan G: Are you retarded? the ISIS says there was no explosion , stop bullshiting .
Mr.Brown
Nan is more intelligent than you,
so if she said there is an explosion, she’s right.
and keep you’re dirty tongue in you’re mouth
no spitting here