Incident clouds Iran talks
U.S. hopes to resume push on nuclear deal despite sabotage at facility
U.S. negotiators prepared to resume indirect talks with Iran this week in hopes that an attack on a key Iranian nuclear facility, widely attributed to Israel, would not derail the nascent effort at diplomacy.
Biden administration officials were quick to say the United States had nothing to do with the weekend incident, which caused a blackout that damaged centrifuges at the Natanz facility.
“The United States was not involved in any manner,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday, and the administration has not been “given any indication about a change” in Iranian participation in negotiations over reviving the 2015 nuclear agreement among world powers and Iran that began last week in Vienna.
Other officials said there was no way to know how Iran would react until they return to the European Union-sponsored talks on Wednesday. After last week’s initial meeting, both sides labeled the negotiations held indirectly, with European members of the deal shuttling between U.S. and Iranian delegations as constructive and businesslike. Iran has refused to meet directly with the United States.
Iranian officials across the board blamed Israel for the Natanz attack, which one called “nuclear terrorism,” and a “crime against humanity.”
But in an indication that Tehran wants the talks to continue, no public blame was directed at Washington, and there was no suggestion the discussions would halt. “The Zionists want to take revenge on the Iranian people for their success in lifting the oppressive sanctions, but we will not allow it and we will take revenge on the Zionists themselves,” Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.
Israel, whose government staunchly opposes a U.S. return to the nuclear deal from which President Donald Trump withdrew three years ago, did not confirm or deny the accusations.
Yoel Guzansky, former head of the Iran desk at Israel’s National Security Council and a senior fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies, said Israeli media reports that Mossad, the Israeli spy agency, was involved in the Natanz blackout indicated a rare move to circumvent Israel’s military censor and unofficially claim responsibility.
“If it was authorized, Israel wants its name to be connected to the attack and to gain something, either vis-a-vis Iran or the U.S. If it’s unauthorized, it’s a security breach problem, but either way, it’s a problem,” he said. “It’s not healthy to brag, but you also force your opponent to do something, and I’m sure they will.”