Explosion at Second Iranian Nuclear Facility

Image from Der Spiegel

"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."

-Auric Goldfinger (Ian Fleming)

AN IRANIAN nuclear facility has been hit by a huge explosion, the second such blast in a month, prompting speculation that Tehran's military and atomic sites are under attack.

Satellite imagery seen by The Times confirmed that a blast that rocked the city of Isfahan on Monday struck the uranium enrichment facility there, despite denials by Tehran.

The images clearly showed billowing smoke and destruction, negating Iranian claims yesterday that no such explosion had taken place. Israeli intelligence officials told The Times that there was "no doubt" that the blast struck the nuclear facilities at Isfahan and that it was "no accident".

Actual, twice seems like quite a coincidence. And all, apparently without the need for F-16's, bunker busters or brinksmanship. At least, not yet.

The explosion at Iran's third-largest city came as satellite images emerged of the damage caused by one at a military base outside Tehran two weeks ago that killed about 30 members of the Revolutionary Guard, including General Hassan Moghaddam, the head of the Iranian missile defense program.

Iran claimed that the Tehran explosion occurred during testing on a new weapons system designed to strike at Israel. But several Israeli officials have confirmed that the blast was intentional and part of an effort to target Iran's nuclear weapons program.

If, indeed, this is an Israeli plan to take out Iran's nuclear capabilities, they are doing a bang up job (pun intended). That would require a highly sophisticated intelligence network and impressive covert capabilities, to penetrate two highly sensitive targets deep within Iran.

On the other hand, if this were a matter of Iranian incompetence in their nuclear projects, what better way to crawl inside their heads than to imply that you had?

Either way, looks like a win-win to me!

H/T Memeorandum