Meanwhile, according to Reuters, Tehran claimed it had identified the individual behind the attack and would arrest him. The report was based on the comments of an unnamed intelligence official who spoke to the Nournews website.
And Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran’s nuclear program, said officials had launched an effort to provide emergency power to the nuclear facility. He said the sabotage had not stopped enrichment there, without elaborating.
The apparent sabotage at the site was reported by the New York Times to have been caused by a massive blast at the centrifuges’ power supply. Israeli and US media quoted unnamed intelligence sources as saying it was believed to have caused significant damage to the centrifuges and set back Iran’s uranium enrichment ability by at least nine months.
Mohammad Javad Zarif’s latest statements blaming Israel were made during meetings with the Iranian parliament’s National Security Committee Monday, according to Iranian media.
“The Zionists want to take revenge on the Iranian people for their success in lifting the oppressive sanctions,” Zarif was reported to say, “but we will not allow it and take revenge on the Zionists themselves.”
Zarif said Israel had sought to block the removal of international sanctions against Iran, but that “the Zionists will get their answer in further nuclear progress.”
He said older first-generation centrifuges that were damaged in the alleged cyberattack could now be replaced with newer, better machines, some of which Iran has already been using in breach of the 2015 nuclear deal.
“If they think our hand in the negotiations has weakened, this will happen to strengthen our position… The negotiating parties should know if they faced an enrichment facility with 1st generation centrifuges, now Natanz can be full of advanced centrifuges.”
The top Iranian diplomat also told lawmakers that better protection was needed at sensitive sites to prevent further such incidents, the reports said. READ MORE
