Tehran denounces an act of "anti-nuclear terrorism" against its Natanz complex
This Sunday's incident comes the day after the presentation of new centrifuges, more powerful than those Iran was allowed to use under the Vienna agreement.
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After the suspicious blackout that affected this Sunday, April 11 the strategic nuclear installation of Natanz, Tehran seems to confirm an act of sabotage.
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On the evening of a
suspicious blackout
that affected the Natanz enrichment site, the head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi denounced "
a despicable act
" aimed at "
preventing the considerable advances of the industry. nuclear power in the country
”.
In a statement broadcast by state television, he called on the international community to act against an "
act of nuclear terrorism
".
Iran reserves the right to respond to this act, adds the head of the OIEA, without however accusing a country in particular.
In July 2020, an explosion partially destroyed a building at the Natanz complex, the country's main nuclear enrichment site.
Iran then accused Israel of being behind this sabotage.
After this mysterious explosion, the authorities decided to build an underground site for the assembly of the new centrifuges, recalls our correspondent in Tehran,
Siavosh Ghazi
.
The Iranian Atomic Energy Organization first indicated this Sunday morning that the blackout that affected part of the Natanz site had neither victim nor caused pollution due to a uranium leak.
Asked about a possible sabotage, his spokesperson had indicated that an investigation was underway to determine the causes of the incident.
This incident comes the day after an official ceremony in which
Iran presented
IR-6 and IR-9
centrifuges
, respectively 10 and 50 times more powerful than the old IR-1 devices used by the Islamic Republic. before the 2015 nuclear deal.
For a year, Tehran has accelerated its nuclear program by producing 5 tons of low enriched uranium and 60 kilograms of 20% uranium, while according to the 2015 nuclear agreement, the stock of low enriched uranium must not exceed the 350 kilograms.
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Iran
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