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

An Iranian official said on Sunday that the country’s security bodies have identified the saboteurs behind the July 2 explosion at the Natanz nuclear facility.

“This incident was unfortunately an act of sabotage and the security organizations should study the incident thoroughly and they have to speak about it and their investigations will continue,” Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said, according to the semiofficial Fars news agency.

“As far as we know, they have identified the culprits and know their incentives and methods and actually, they have full knowledge over the issue,” he added.

Kamalvandi said that no more information can be provided as the matter is still under investigation.

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 later told The New York Timesthat Israel was responsible for the attack, which he said was carried out using a powerful bomb. Israel has not commented on the report.

A member of the Iranian Parliament's National Security Committee later said the blast at Natanz was caused by a "security breach", and a subsequent report said Iran had ruled out drone or missile attacks as the cause of the blast.

Iran has warned that any country found to be responsible for the explosion at Natanz should expect retaliation.

The explosion at Natanz occurred 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".