IRAN
Plausible Deniability
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Sunday that Israel is not “necessarily” responsible for every mysterious incident in Iran, after a series of fires and gas leaks broke out at Iranian plants, Reuters reported.
On Saturday, a fire broke out at a power station in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, Al Jazeera reported. On the same day, a chlorine gas leak in the southeastern province of Khuzestan sickened 70 workers, according to the Associated Press.
The recent incidents follow a blaze that significantly damaged the Natanz nuclear facility Thursday. Authorities initially said the damage was minor but admitted Sunday that the fire was caused by a powerful bomb, the New York Times reported.
The Natanz site is one of the several Iranian facilities monitored by inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations nuclear watchdog.
The damage has set back Iran’s nuclear program by months, and intelligence officials suspect that Israel was responsible.
Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have warned they would retaliate against any country that carries out attacks on its facilities, including nuclear plants.
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