Damage at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility
Damage at Iran's Natanz nuclear facilityReuters

Iran's Foreign Ministry on Friday warned that there will be “consequences” if it is proven that foreign elements were involved in the recent mysterious blast at the Natanz nuclear facility, the Xinhua news agency reports.

"Security bodies are investigating all the details of the incident (in Natanz), and it is still too early to talk about and make any judgment regarding the main cause and reason for the blast," Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi was quoted as saying.

"If they conclude that foreign elements have been involved ... there will be consequences," added Mousavi.

On July 2, Iran reported an "incident" at the Natanz complex, but said it caused no casualties and failed to stop enrichment work at the facility.

An unnamed Middle Eastern intelligence official told The New York Times this week that Israel was responsible for the attack, which he said was carried out using a powerful bomb. Israel has not commented on the report.

Mousavi pointed to the reports attributing the explosion to Israel, saying that such reports are aimed at "portraying Israel as powerful."

The explosion at Natanz came six days after an explosion near a military complex in Parchin area southeast of Tehran rocked the Iranian capital.

Authorities blamed that blast on "leaking gas tanks".

Iran restarted enriching uranium at Natanz last September after having agreed under the accord to put such activities there on hold.

As for the Parchin site, Iran has denied that it is related to its nuclear program, though it did admit at one point to using Parchin to test exploding bridge wires, used as nuclear detonators.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)