It had all the trappings of sabotage: an explosion at a major nuclear facility in Iran, allegedly confirmed by an Israeli official. But it all turned out to be speculation, the White House said on Monday, debunking the sensational story.
An Iranian exile who goes by the name of Reza Kahlili reported the alleged blast in Fordow four days ago on World News Daily, a far-right website known for publishing conspiracy theories about President Obama’s birthplace.
The report was initially ignored by mainstream news sites but got more traction on Monday when London’s Times cited an Israeli official confirming the explosion. Other news organizations then picked up on the story, sourcing it back to The Times.
But White House spokesman Jay Carney, responding to questions about the report at a briefing Monday, said that Washington didn’t believe it. “We have no information to confirm the allegations in that report, and we do not believe the report is credible.”
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