Key points
- UN watchdog asks Tehran to “clarify tunnels near N-site”
- Israel and US threaten to bomb Tehran’s nuclear facilities
- US and Iran set to resume talks on Saturday
ISLAMABAD: A United States think tank has accused Iran of fortifying deeply buried tunnel complexes allegedly linked to its main nuclear complex amid US and Israeli threats of attack.
The Institute for Science and International Security released its report based on recent satellite imagery as the US and Iran prepare to hold a third round of talks this weekend on a possible deal to reimpose restraints on Tehran’s uranium enrichment programme.
Washington Free Beacon quoted David Albright, the Institute for Science and International Security President and co-author of its latest investigation, as saying that two “underground sites in question would be vulnerable to a ground incursion, with attackers able to hide on the mountain. So, a perimeter fence provides some additional protection against a ground attack.”
Military action
US President Donald Trump, who pulled the US out of a 2015 pact designed to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, has threatened to bomb Iran unless a deal is quickly reached that would ensure that same goal.
Underground sites in question would be vulnerable to a ground incursion.” – Institute for Science and International Security President David Albright
Trump’s withdrawal prompted Iran to breach many of the pact’s restraints. Western powers suspect it is pursuing the capability to assemble a nuclear weapon through enrichment of uranium to high fissile purity, which Tehran denies, according to Reuters news agency.
David Albright said the new perimeter suggested that the tunnel complexes, under construction beneath Mount Kolang Gaz La for several years, could become operational relatively soon.
Tehran has barred access to the tunnels to inspectors of the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) who are monitoring its nuclear programme.
Consultation with Beijing
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Beijing on Wednesday upon his Chinese counterpart’s official invitation amid ongoing nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, which Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi mediates.
According to Press TV, Iranian foreign minister has hailed China and Russia as the country’s two strategic partners and close friends.
“China and Russia are two strategic partners and close friends who have stood by us in times of hardship. It is natural that we have continuous and constant consultations with them in various areas, especially now that discussions with the United States are held indirectly,” Abbas Araghchi told Iran’s state media in the Chinese capital on Wednesday.
“It is necessary that we keep our friends in China fully informed about ongoing matters and consult with them.”
