Iran says to equip damaged part of Natanz nuclear site with more advanced equipment

TEHRAN - A new and more advanced structure will be built at Natanz nuclear facility to replace the one damaged in a recent "incident," the spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency on Monday.

"Necessary arrangements have been made to rebuild the damaged shed at Shahid Ahmadi Roshan (Natanz) nuclear facility and a bigger shed with more advanced equipment is to replace it," Behrouz Kamalvandi said.

More centrifuge machines were supposed to be produced at the damaged shed, Kamalvandi said, adding that parts of measurement and precision tools in the shed were destroyed and damaged in the "incident."

The "incident" has not caused hindrance in Iran's enrichment work, although it may slow down development and manufacture of advanced machines in the medium term, he said.

"We would make up for this slowdown through round-the-clock work and diligent efforts of our colleagues at the organization," noted the spokesperson.

On Thursday, Iran announced that fire breakout at Natanz nuclear facility caused no damage to the establishment, but it affected one of the structures for storing stock items.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) announced on Friday that the country's experts had determined the main cause of "incident" and would announce it at an "appropriate time."