TEHRAN, 06 December 2021, (TON): An air defence test triggered a loud explosion near Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment facility as nuclear talks with major powers stumble.

The official news agency reported “the explosion was heard in the skies over the Iranian city of Badroud, just 20km from the nuclear plant.”

A witness said “badroud residents heard the noise and saw a light which showed an object had just blown up in the skies over the city.”

But the spokesman for the Iranian army, Gen Amir Tarikhani, told state television there was no cause for concern.

Tarikhani said “an hour ago, one of our missile systems in the region was tested to assess the state of readiness on the ground, and there is nothing to fear.”

Israel has said repeatedly that it stands ready to use all means, including force, to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability, and Iran has carried out periodic exercises to improve the defences around its nuclear sites.

The army spokesman said “to evaluate the systems based in the region, such exercises are carried out in a completely secure environment and in full coordination with the integrated defence network.”

Israel has been pushing hard for world powers to abandon talks with Iran on reviving a 2015 nuclear deal, which reopened in Vienna on Monday.