Israel 's oxygen - 18 facility had shut down due to the Gulf War .
The U.S. government had shut down its Isotopes of Carbon , Oxygen and Nitrogen facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory , leaving Isotec as the main supplier .
Israel 's oxygen - 18 facility had shut down due to the Gulf War , and the U.S. government had shut down its Isotopes of Carbon , Oxygen and Nitrogen facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory , leaving Isotec as the main supplier .