BLAST MAY HAVE SLOWED IRAN NUCLEAR DRIVE: ISRAEL

This November 22, 2011 photo provided courtesy of DigitalGlobe shows a satellite image of the destroyed military compound in Bid Ganeh, Iran, following a deadly explosion on November 12, 2011. The blast outside the capital Tehran may have slowed the Islamic republic’s nuclear programme, a senior Israeli military official said in a report on November 28, 2011. “The explosion at the site where ground-to-ground missiles are developed could delay or even bring a complete halt to the production of these missiles at that site,” said General Itai Baron, head of the military’s intelligence research unit, quoted by the media. Iran’s military has repeatedly said the explosion was the result of an accident. The explosion killed at least 36 Revolutionary Guards, including Iranian General Hassan Moqaddam. AFP PHOTO / DigitalGlobe == RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE / MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / DIGITALGLOBE ” / NO MARKETING / NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS / DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS ==