U.S. Distances Itself from Explosion at Iranian Nuclear Site

The United States affirmed that it had no role in the explosion at an Iranian uranium enrichment facility, the Biden administration said on Monday.

The administration is seeking to bring Iran back to the 2015 nuclear deal, with a second round of indirect talks set to start on Wednesday.

"We have seen reports of an incident at the Natanz enrichment facility in Iran," a senior Biden administration official stated. "The United States had no involvement, and we have nothing to add to speculation about the causes."

Iran described the explosion as an act of “nuclear terrorism,” raising regional tensions as world powers and Tehran continue to negotiate over the nuclear deal.

On his part, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif blamed Israel for the explosion, which resulted in damage to centrifuges used to enrichment uranium.

Zarif asserted that the incident would not affect the nuclear talks, but “we will take our revenge against the Zionists.”

Moreover, Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's atomic energy organization, denied a New York Times report which indicate that the explosion caused such severe damage that it will take 9 months to repair.

Salehi affirmed that uranium enrichment continues and the damaged centrifuges will soon be replaced.

Iranian media reported that the intelligence services were investigating the incident, noting that one arrest had already been made.