<a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/iran/" target="_blank">Iran</a> will co-operate with international inspectors on any "new activities", the head of the country's nuclear programme said on Wednesday. The comments from Mohammad Eslami of the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/iran/" target="_blank">Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran</a> came days after a report by the Associated Press<i> </i>alleged that Tehran was building underground tunnels inside a mountain<b> </b>near Natanz nuclear plant. AP described the deep tunnels as "likely beyond the range of a last-ditch US weapon designed to destroy such sites". “Iran is working under the IAEA safeguards and whenever it wants to start new activities, it will co-ordinate with the IAEA, and act accordingly," Mr Eslami said, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Satellite photographs showing piles of dirt which could be from digging as well as analysis from experts suggested the alleged tunnels could be between 80 and 100 metres underground. Israel's national security adviser said the site would not be immune from attacks even if its depth was beyond the range of US air strikes. The completion of such a plant “would be a nightmare scenario that risks igniting a new escalatory spiral", Kelsey Davenport, the director of non-proliferation policy at the Washington-based Arms Control Association, said in the report. “Given how close Iran is to [making] a bomb, it has very little room to ratchet up its programme without tripping US and Israeli red lines. So at this point, any further escalation increases the risk of conflict.” Such underground facilities had led the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/us-news/" target="_blank">US</a> to create the GBU-57 bomb, which can penetrate at least 60 metres of earth before detonating, the American military says. If diplomacy over Iran's nuclear deal remains stalled, as it has for months, sabotage attacks may resume. Iran says the new construction will replace an overground centrifuge manufacturing site at Natanz, which was struck by an explosion and fire in July 2020. Tehran blamed the incident on Israel, long suspected by the regime of running sabotage campaigns against its nuclear programme.