Incident at Iran’s Natanz facility a ‘terrorist action’: nuclear Chief

Tehran [Iran], April 12 (ANI): Iran‘s Atomic Energy Organization condemned an incident at the Natanz nuclear facility on Sunday, calling it a “terrorist action”, according to local media.
Akbar Salehi, chief of the organization, said, “Today’s attack demonstrates that the enemies of Iran‘s progress and advancement in nuclear science, as well as nuclear negotiations, are in desperation committing terrorist actions against the nuclear technology at Natanz [nuclear facility],” as reported by the Iranian telegram channel of the Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), according to CNN.
Salehi also said, “Iran reserves the right to respond against the perpetrators, and those who committed the terrorist action,” IRGC reported, as cited by CNN.
Earlier in the day, Iranian officials confirmed an “incident” at Natanz, a day after the government said it was launching more than 150 new uranium enrichment centrifuges at the underground facility.
“Fortunately, the incident did not cause any human injuries or leaks… The causes of the accident are under investigation and further information will be announced later,” said Behrouz Kamalvand, a spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization.”

CNN reported that as per local news agency reports, other Iranian officials suggested the facility may have come under attack, speculating the plant may have been targeted as the country discusses a revival of the Iran nuclear deal with its Western signatories. Former US President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement.
Malek Shariati Niaser, a member of Iran‘s Parliament, said: “The blackout in Natanz on the anniversary of National Nuclear Day is suspicious and may be due to sabotage while Iran is trying to convince the western countries to lift the sanctions,” the semi-official news website Entekhab.ir reported, according to the news outlet.
CNN reported that During the 15th anniversary of Iran‘s National Nuclear Technology Day Saturday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced new uranium enrichment centrifuges at the plant, stating that while Iran‘s nuclear activities are for “peaceful and civil purposes,” the country’s nuclear capability was also stronger than at any time before.
The Natanz nuclear plant lost a building when a fire broke out in July last year.
The Iranian government said at the time that it was an attack on its nuclear program. It was also the target of the Stuxnet cyberattack in 2010, which security experts believe was carried out by Israel and the US.
CNN reported that the Natanz nuclear plant lost a building when a fire broke out in July last year. The Iranian government said at the time that it was an attack on its nuclear program. It was also the target of the Stuxnet cyberattack in 2010, which security experts believe was carried out by Israel and the US.
Former US President Trump imposed new sanctions on Iran after US unilaterally withdrew from the deal. Iranian officials have maintained that the US must lift all sanctions imposed under the former President’s tenure and return to the nuclear deal before it again complies with the agreement.

Israeli PM calls struggling against Iran “huge task” after Natanz nuke facility blackout

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that struggling against Iran is “a huge task”.
Xinhua reported that he made the remarks hours after Iran announced that a blackout at its underground Natanz nuclear facility was an act of “nuclear terrorism.”
“The struggle against Iran and its proxies and Iranian armament is a huge task,” Netanyahu told a meeting of senior Israeli security officials, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s office, as quoted by Xinhua.

“The situation that exists today is not necessarily the one that will exist tomorrow,” he said.
The Hebrew-language Ynet news site quoted anonymous intelligence officials as saying Israel‘s Mossad espionage agency was behind the blackout, as cited by Xinhua.
The escalation came as US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Israel for a two-day visit and security talks. The Biden administration has been holding indirect talks over a possible renewal of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Netanyahu frequently made remarks against Iran, accusing it of planning to build nuclear weapons that will threaten Israel.
On Sunday morning, Iran reported that the Natanz nuclear plant suffered an accident involving its electricity distribution network. Hours later, AEOI chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, described the accident as “nuclear terrorism”, according to Sputnik. (ANI)

Iran increases uranium enrichment to 60 pc

Tehran [Iran], April 14 (ANI/Sputnik): Iran started enrichment of uranium to 60 per cent on Tuesday, the IRNA news agency reported, citing Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The broadcaster did not provide any additional details but the news comes amid Tehran’s intentions to increase nuclear activity in the light of a sabotage attack at a facility in Natanz.

Later in the day, Iran officially informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of its intentions to begin enrichment of uranium to 60 percent at the Natanz nuclear facility, according to a statement from the agency’s spokesperson available to Sputnik.
“During his visit to the countries participating in IAEA monitoring and verification in Iran, Director General Rafael Grossi said that Iran has informed the agency that the country intends to start producing uranium fluoride (UF6) enriched to 60 percent uranium-235 at the Natanz nuclear fuel enrichment plant,” the spokesperson stated.
Iran‘s decision will be on the agenda of the Thursday meeting of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Russia’s permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, said. (ANI/Sputnik)