The Islamic Republic of Iran on Monday accused Israel of being behind the attack on its uranium enrichment plant in Natanz the day before, implying that it had damaged centrifuges, and promised a "revenge", "in due course".

"With this action, the Zionist regime of course tried to take revenge on the Iranian people for the patience and wisdom they have shown (pending) the lifting of US sanctions," said the Iranian foreign spokesperson. , Saïd Khatibzadeh, during a press conference in Tehran.

The latter thus indirectly accused Israel of scuttling the discussions underway in Vienna in an attempt to bring the United States back into the 2015 international agreement on Iranian nuclear power and of lifting the sanctions imposed by Washington against Tehran since the Americans joined. out of this pact in 2018.

On Sunday, the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization (OIEA) announced that the Natanz nuclear complex in central Iran had suffered an "accident" in the morning, described as an act of "terrorism". and resulting in a "power cut" causing "no death, no injuries, no pollution".

It is still "too early" to determine the material damage caused by the attack, "Said Khatibzadeh said on Monday." Each of the centrifuges must be inspected to give an assessment of the damage.

"If (the attack) was to limit Iran's nuclear capability, I would say, on the other hand, that all of the centrifuges that (were damaged) were of the IR-1 type" (that is, " first generation ", Editor's note), he said.

"Let everyone know that they will for sure be replaced by more advanced machines," he added, promising that "Iran's response will be revenge against the Zionist regime when and where it is. timely ".

According to the official Irna news agency, deputies indicated that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had "insisted (...) on the need not to fall into the trap set by the Zionists".

"But we will not allow (Israel to derail the Vienna talks) and we will take revenge on the Zionists for these actions," he reportedly told the same source at a closed meeting in parliament devoted to the attack. against Natanz.

With AFP

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