In a report, the Associated Press revealed that Tehran is currently building a nuclear facility deep in the ground that may be out of reach of US missiles. However, Israeli security officials confirmed that this facility would not be safe from Tel Aviv strikes, thus escalating the rhetoric towards Tehran.
The head of Israel’s National Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi, said Tuesday that Iran’s new nuclear facility will not be safe from strikes, despite expert estimates that it will be out of reach of US bombs that penetrate underground bunkers.
Hanegbi made these comments in response to an Associated Press report that says the new facility appears 100 meters underground.
Hanegbi, speaking at a security conference in the city of Herzliya near Tel Aviv, said he was not surprised by the report, noting that Iran has other underground facilities. The Israeli official acknowledged that the new site would hold any potential military strike on the facility, but he confirmed that there is a solution to such a challenge.
“What can be said about this is that there is no place it cannot be reached,” he said. But he refused to say whether Israel had the capacity to do it on its own.
Hanegbi said that his country hopes that it will not reach a point where the issue of Iran’s nuclear weapons is required to be resolved by a military step, adding that his country prefers resolving the conflict with Israel through diplomatic means.
Photos and videos of the new Iranian facility published by Planet Labs PBC show that Iran is digging tunnels near the Natanz nuclear site, which has in the past been subject to repeated sabotage attacks. Excavated piles at the site indicate the facility could be between 80 meters and 100 meters underground, according to expert analysis and the Associated Press.
The Islamic Republic denies it is seeking nuclear weapons, although officials in Tehran are now openly discussing their ability to obtain one.
In a speech to the same conference in Herzliya, the Israeli Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevy, said that Israel is closely monitoring Iran’s nuclear program, stressing that his country’s army is ready to take action, adding that if Tehran continues to develop its nuclear capabilities, Israel may be forced to launch a military strike against it.
“There are potential negative developments on the horizon that could lead to action. We have capabilities. Others also have capabilities, and this is a very important and important issue,” he said. Halevy stressed that Israel is able to hit its enemies with greater force, even if it finds itself in a multi-front war.
