Iran called a blackout at its underground Natanz atomic facility, “chemical vandalism” on Sunday, escalating international tensions as world powers and Tehran seek to bargain over the country’s shattered nuclear pact. Although there was no immediate assertion of blame, Israel’s media almost unanimously claimed that the blackout was triggered by a crippling cyberattack engineered by the government.
If Israel is to blame, it will exacerbate tensions between the two countries, which are already embroiled in a shadow conflict around the Middle East. Following a meeting with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to do everything in his power to sabotage the nuclear agreement. The incident at the facility, early Sunday morning was initially identified as a blackout triggered by the electrical grid feeding its above-ground workshops and underground enrichment halls, but details remained scarce.
Ali Akbar Salehi, the American-educated president of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization and former foreign minister, made what seemed to be his harshest remarks in a long career, that involved the assassination of nuclear scientists a decade earlier. Iran also holds Israel responsible for the assassinations. When seeking to end international sanctions, he promised to “seriously develop” his country’s nuclear technology.
Salehi’s remarks to state television did not provide an explanation for what occurred at the site, but his statements indicated a major disturbance. “While condemning this desperate leap, the Islamic Republic of Iran stresses the importance of foreign organizations, including the (International Atomic Energy Agency), confronting this nuclear terrorism,” Salehi said. The International Atomic Energy Agency, which oversees Tehran’s nuclear programme, had previously stated that it was aware of media stories about the incident in Natanz, and had spoken with Iranian officials about it. The department did not have any further details.
Natanz, on the other hand, has been the victim of sabotage in the past. During an earlier time of Western concerns about Tehran’s programme, the Stuxnet computer virus, discovered in 2010, and generally considered to be a joint US-Israeli creation, damaged and killed Iranian centrifuges at Natanz. In July, a suspicious blast occurred at Natanz’s advanced centrifuge assembly factory, which officials later attributed to sabotage. Iran is now re-constructing the plant deep inside a neighbouring mountain. Iran also blamed Israel for the assassination in November, of a physicist who started the country’s military nuclear programme decades before.
The blackout in Natanz was reportedly triggered by an Israeli cyberattack, according to several Israeli media outlets. The Mossad, according to public broadcaster Kan, was behind the strike. According to “experts,” the attack shut down whole portions of the facility, according to Channel 12 TV. About the fact that the stories did not cite any sources, Israeli media has a strong association with the country’s military and intelligence services
On Sunday’s blackout, Yoel Guzansky, a senior fellow at Tel Aviv’s Institute for National Security Studies, said, “It’s hard for me to believe it’s a coincidence.” “If it isn’t a coincidence, and it is a huge if, someone is attempting to give a warning that “we will cap Iran’s progress and we have red lines,” which is a big if.” He also added that it sends a warning that Iran’s most sensitive nuclear site is “penetrable.”
