Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented evidence of a large in a special TV address on Monday night.
Details of the secret site destroyed by Iran in July were among Iranian documents smuggled out of Tehran by Mossad in a dangerous operation and subsequently released last year.
Speaking at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, Netanyahu recalled how Israel exposed Iran’s
nuclear archive last year revealing it had been developing five nuclear warheads in 2003.
The secret nuclear warehouse in Turquzabad was used to stored materials and equipment. Iran knew Israel were on to them so destroyed the site.
Netanyahu then made his claims of a second development site.
“This is a cover-up,” he exclaimed. “They put gravel on it to try and hide their traces but
didn’t. The IAEA found traces of uranium that Iran hid in these sites. That’s a direct violation of the NPT, the non-Proliferation Treaty.
“Today, we reveal that yet another secret nuclear site was exposed in the archives that we brought from Tehran. In this site, Iran conducted experiments to develop nuclear weapons. This is the site near Abadeh, south of Isfahan.”
Netanyahu released a satellite images of the site taken in June then illustrating the site had been destroyed.
“When Iran realised we uncovered the site they destroyed the site,” he said. “They wiped out the site.”
Netanyahu added, “Here they conducted nuclear experiments for nuclear weapons. This is the site after they understood that we were on to them. They destroyed the evidence or at least tried to destroy the evidence.”
Iran deny they are developing nuclear weapons but Netanyahu had a stark warning for its leaders.
“This is what I have to say to the tyrants of Tehran, Israel knows what you’re doing, Israel knows when you’re doing it and Israel knows where you’re doing it,” he said.
“We will continue to expose your lies. What we see is a consistent pattern of Iranian lies, deception and violations.”
Netanyahu appealed to world leaders to place economic sanctions on Tehran.
“I call on the international community to wake up, to realise Iran is systematically lying,” he said.
He added, “I call on the international community to join President Trump’s sanctions to exert more pressure on Iran. The only way to stop Iran’s march to the bomb, and its aggression in the region, is pressure, pressure and more pressure.”
Blue and White Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid criticised Netanyahu for electioneering.
Gantz described Netanyahu’s judgement was “flawed”.
“Even in his last days as Prime Minister, Netanyahu worries only about Netanyahu,” he said.
Lapid described Netanyahu’s actions as “shocking national irresponsibility.”
“The Iranian nuclear programme cannot be used for campaign shenanigans.”
Netanyahu’s comments followed a fleeting visit to London last week where he held talks with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
And the news came after UN atomic watchdog IAEA found traces of uranium at a different site.
Iran has yet to explain the discovery.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif dismissed Netanyahu’s claims of the secret site but would not confirm what the site was or why it appeared to have been demolished.
By Bella Waxler
