Report: Explosion destroys much of underground installation in Iran

Examiner ^ | January 26, 2013 | Christopher Collins

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

An explosion deep within Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility has destroyed much of the installation, trapped about 240 personnel deep underground, according to a former intelligence officer of the Islamic regime, and reported by Reza Kahlili on Thursday.

The previously secret nuclear site has become a center for Iran’s nuclear activity because of the 2,700 centrifuges enriching uranium to the 20-percent level. A further enrichment to weapons grade would take only weeks, experts say.

“The level of enrichment has been a major concern to Israeli officials, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly has warned about the 20-percent enriched stockpile. The explosion occurred Monday, the day before Israeli elections weakened Netanyahu’s political control,” said Kahlili.

“Iran, to avoid alarm, had converted part of the stockpile to fuel plates for use in the Tehran Research Reactor. However, days after the recent failed talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iranian officials announced the enrichment process will not stop even “for a moment.”

"The regime’s uranium enrichment process takes place at two known sites: the Natanz facility with more than 10,000 centrifuges and Fordow with more than 2,700. The regime currently has enough low-grade (3.5 percent) uranium stockpiled for six nuclear bombs if further enriched."

“However, more time is needed for conversion of the low-grade uranium than what would be needed for a stockpile at 20 percent. It takes 225 kilograms of enriched uranium at the 20-percent level to further enrich to the 90-percent level for one nuclear bomb. However, according to a source in the security forces protecting Fordow, an explosion on Monday at 11:30 a.m. Tehran time rocked the site, which is buried deep under a mountain and immune not only to airstrikes but to most bunker-buster bombs.

[clearcarbon]

Another minor setback, no doubt.

[TomasUSMC]

The Davy Crockett was fired from a jeep mounted recoiless rifle and weighed around 50 pounds....and they could have made them much smaller.....and that was over half a century ago.

How small could nukes be now?

hold on....were’d I put that one....I swear I left it on this key chain.

[BlueDragon]

Did this really happen?

I submit that we don’t know

I'm wondering if it isn't a convenient way to block further inspections. A sort-of the-dog-ate-my-homework thing, but more like "there was a horrible accident" "we're sorry, but the nuclear material is now forever buried". "drat the luck". "it was all for peaceable purposes, we were not trying to make a bomb", "so sorry, but no one can examine the materials now", etc...