Illustrative photo of Netanyahu discussing Iran’s “secret nuclear files”. Photo courtesy of: Amos Ben-Gershom (GPO)
Israel has once again exposed Iranian nuclear secrets, this time unveiling a site Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday was where “Iran conducted experiments to develop nuclear weapons.” The publication of the previously covert site follows Israel’s uncovering of the Iranian nuclear archive that detailed efforts to develop nuclear weapons in the past, as well as a nuclear warehouse that proves Iran violated the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
“Today, we reveal that yet another secret nuclear site was exposed in the archives that we brought from Tehran,” said Netanyahu in comments released by his office. “In this site, Iran conducted experiments to develop nuclear weapons. This is the site near Abadeh, south of Isfahan. When Iran realized that we uncovered the site here’s what they did: they destroyed the site. They just wiped it out.
The Israeli premier continued with a warning to Iran’s leadership. “This is what I have to say to the tyrants of Tehran: Israel knows what you’re doing, Israel knows when you’re doing it and Israel knows where you’re doing it,” said Netanyahu. “We will continue to expose your lies. What we see is a consistent pattern of Iranian lies, deception and violations.”
In his comments, Netanyahu highlighted that the nuclear archives had revealed Iran had once been working towards five nuclear warheads in the early 2000s. The nuclear warehouse was exposed last year, and Netanyahu noted that Iran attempted to clear up the site and covered it with gravel in a “actual cover-up.” But that wasn’t enough and it’s not just Israel who knows what happened there.
Said Netanyahu, “They put gravel on it to try and hide their traces. But they didn’t. The IAEA found traces of uranium that Iran hid in these sites. That’s a direct violation of the NPT.”
The same day Israel made their latest revelation of Iran’s nuclear secrets, the leader of the International Atomic Energy Agency recapped his latest visit to Iran to their international Board of Governors. Netanyahu, in his statement, noted that Iran “refused” to answer the IAEA questions about its nuclear violations. IAEA Acting Director General Cornel Feruță, in his comments posted to the IAEA website, made oblique reference to this challenge.
“During my discussions in Tehran, I emphasized the importance of full and timely cooperation by Iran,” said Feruță. “It is important to advance our interactions and, therefore, I also stressed the need for Iran to respond promptly to Agency questions related to the completeness of Iran’s safeguards declarations. The Agency will continue its efforts and will remain actively engaged. Time is of the essence.”
Israel ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon was more to the point on Twitter: “Israel & @iaeaorg have revealed: Iran lied AGAIN about its nuclear program. Considering some European countries may throw Iran a $15 billion lifeline. The only way to stop the regime in Iran is with sanctions. Do not appease them. Instead, increase the pressure!”
In additional comments summarizing the IAEA leadership statement, a tweet from the agency noted that on Saturday, Iran “informed the IAEA that it intended to install and test, with natural uranium, additional advanced centrifuges at its R&D facility.” Centrifuges are the machines used to enrich nuclear fuel, which if enriched enough can be used for nuclear weapons.
Like Danon, Netanyahu concluded his statement by calling for the international community to act, asking them “to wake up, to realize that Iran is systematically lying,” as well as to join the sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States.
Said Netanyahu, “The only way to stop Iran’s march to the bomb, and its aggression in the region, is pressure, pressure and more pressure.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, September 9, 2019)