Dissident group says Iran has secret nuclear facility
An Iranian dissident group said on Thursday that it has identified a previously undisclosed nuclear facility under construction northwest of Tehran, claiming to have evidence that shows the Islamic nation is deceiving inspectors and moving forward in its pursuit of a bomb.
Details about the facility were scant, and experts said the allegation that construction at the site is nuclear-related could not be confirmed.
The information was presented by the People’s Mujaheddin Organization of Iran, a group that has been on the mark in the past in exposing Iranian nuclear activities, including the identification in 2002 of a large centrifuge installation at Natanz.
But U.S. officials have greeted some of the organization’s other claims with skepticism, and note that it has for years been on a State Department list of designated terrorist organizations.
“This facility has been under construction for years, and we’ve known about it for years. While there’s still some ambiguity about its ultimate purpose - not unusual for something that’s still taking shape - there’s no reason at this point to think it’s nuclear,” a U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “The Iranians put military stuff in tunnels, too. People should be cautious about reaching conclusions here.”