Iran claims blackout at nuclear facility was an ‘act of terrorism’

A POWER cut at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility yesterday was caused by an act of “terrorism”, the country’s nuclear chief has said, adding that Tehran reserved the right to take action against the perpetrators.

The incident took place a day after Tehran launched advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges at the site.

The desert facility is the centrepiece of Iran’s uranium enrichment programme and is monitored by inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN watchdog. Tehran denies seeking to build a nuclear bomb.

“While condemning this despicable move, Iran emphasises the need for the international community and the International Atomic Energy Agency to deal with this nuclear terrorism,” nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi said. In July last year, a fire broke out at Natanz, which the government said was an attempt to sabotage its nuclear programme.

In 2010, the Stuxnet computer virus, widely believed to have been developed by the US and Israel, was discovered after it was used to attack Natanz.

The latest incident comes amid efforts by Tehran and Washington to revive the 2015 nuclear deal after the former US president Donald Trump abandoned it three years ago and reimposed sanctions. 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,” Mr 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.”

Iran’s new chain of 164 IR-6 centrifuges at the plant can enrich uranium much faster than its first-generation IR-1 centrifuges. The nuclear deal that former Mr Trump pulled out of in 2018 limited Iran to using only IR-1S for enrichment.

Tehran has since abandoned all the limits of its uranium stockpile. It now enriches up to 20 per cent purity, a technical step away from weaponsgrade levels of 90 per cent.