An incident at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility on Sunday was
caused by an act of “nuclear terrorism”, the country’s nuclear chief Ali Akbar
Salehi said, according to state TV, adding that Tehran reserves the right to
take action against the perpetrators.
اضافة اعلان
Israel’s Kan public radio cited intelligence sources, whose
nationality it did not disclose, as saying that Israel’s Mossad spy agency had
carried out a cyber attack at the site.
Earlier on Sunday, the spokesman for Iran’s Atomic Energy
Organisation (AEOI) had said that a problem with the electrical distribution
grid of the Natanz site had caused an incident, Iranian media reported.
The spokesman, Behrouz Kamalvandi, said the incident caused
no casualties or contamination.
The facility, located in the desert in the central province
of Isfahan, is the centerpiece of Iran’s uranium enrichment program and is
monitored by inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN
nuclear watchdog.
“While condemning this despicable move, Iran emphasizes the
need for the international community and the International Atomic Energy Agency
to deal with this nuclear terrorism and reserves the right to take action
against the perpetrators,” Salehi said. He did not elaborate.
Israel, which has accused Iran of seeking to build nuclear
weapons that could be used against it, made no official comment on the
incident. It took place a day after Tehran, which has denied it seeks atomic
arms, launched new advanced enrichment centrifuges at Natanz.
Asked about what had occurred, an IAEA spokesman said by
email, “We are aware of the media reports. We have no comment at this stage.”
Kan Radio, citing the intelligence sources, said the damage
at Natanz was more extensive than had been reported in Iran.
At a ceremony on Sunday with Israeli military and
intelligence chiefs marking the 73rd anniversary next week of Israel’s
founding, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made no direct reference to Natanz.
But he said: “The fight against Iran’s nuclearization ... is
a massive task.” Tehran says its nuclear program is purely for peaceful
purposes.
In July last year, a fire broke out at the facility, which
Iran said was an attempt to sabotage the country’s nuclear program.
In 2010, the Stuxnet computer virus, widely believed to have
been developed by the United States and Israel, was discovered after it was
used to attack Natanz.
The incident at the Natanz facility comes amid efforts by
Tehran and Washington to revive Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with major powers
after former US president Donald Trump abandoned it three years ago. Trump
reimposed sanctions that had been lifted on Iran under the deal, and brought in
many more.
In reaction to the US sanctions, Iran has gradually breached
many restrictions imposed by the accord. The two nations laid out tough stances
at indirect talks in Vienna last week on how to bring both back into full
compliance with the deal.
“The action taken against the Natanz site shows the failure
of the opposition to Iran’s industrial and political progress to prevent the
significant development of Iran’s nuclear industry,” Salehi said.“To thwart the
goals of those who commanded this terrorist act ... Iran will continue to
improve its nuclear technology on the one hand and to lift oppressive US
sanctions on the other hand,” he said.
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