رزمة تقارير باللغتين العربية والإنكليزية تحكي تفاصيل التفجير الذي تعرض له ألكترونياً موقع نطنز الإيراني النووي اليوم/A Bundle Of E/A reports addressing the Cyber Iranian Nuclear Natanz incident That Took place today
*طهران: لا إصابات بشرية ولا تلوث إشعاعي حادث نووي “غامض” في نظنز الإيرانية أ. ف. ب./إيلاف من دبي/11 نيسان/2021
*رئيس منظمة الطاقة الذرية الإيرانية: حادث نطنز إرهاب نووي روسيا اليوم/11 نيسان/2021
*خطة إيران لإعادة واشنطن إلى “الاتفاق الرديء”! محمد قواص/سكاي نيوز/11 نيسان/2021
*What Iran is saying about the Natanz incident Seth J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/April/11 2021
*Israel’s decades-long battle against Iran’s centrifuges at Natanz Jerusalem Post/April/11 2021
*Israel’s decades-long battle against Iran’s centrifuges at Natanz Jerusalem Post/April/11 2021
*Mossad behind cyber attack against Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility’ Yonah Jeremy Bob/Jerusalem Post/April 11/2021
*What is going on in Iran? Cyber experts weigh in Akiva Spiegelman/Arutz Sheva/April/2021
*Defense officials call to probe leak of alleged Israeli op. against Iran Yonah Jeremy Bob/Jerusalem Post/April 11/2021
*What is going on in Iran? Cyber experts weigh in Akiva Spiegelman/Arutz Sheva/April/2021
******* جيروزاليم بوست: هجوم إلكتروني وراء “حادث نطنز” مراسلو إيلاف ووكالات/11 نيسان/2021 إيلاف من دبي: قالت صحيفة “جيروزاليم بوست” إن الحادث الذي وقع في مجمع نطنز النووي الإيراني، الأحد، ناجم عن هجوم إلكتروني قد يكون من جانب إسرائيل. وبحسب موقع “الحرة”، أفادت الصحيفة بأن الواقعة الجديدة في نطنز لم تكن “حادثا” عاديا، بل هي أخطر بكثير مما تقوله إيران. وأكد المتحدث باسم منظمة الطاقة الذرية الإيراني، بهروز كمالوندي، وقوع حادث في قسم توزيع الكهرباء بمجمع نطنز، مشيرا إلى عدم وجود إصابات بشرية أو تلوث نتيجة هذا الحادث. وأوضح أن التحقيقات جارية للكشف عن ملابسات الحادث الواقع في المنشأة الرئيسية لتخصيب اليورانيوم في البلاد. واستهدف مجمع نطنز سابقا بهجمات إلكترونية من جانب إسرائيل وفقا لتقارير إعلامية غربية. في عام 2010، هاجم فيروس “Stuxnet” المنشأة في عملية مشتركة مع الولايات المتحدة، ودمر أكثر من 1000 جهاز طرد مركزي. ويأتي هذا الهجوم المحتمل بعد يوم واحد من إعلان إيران عن بدء اختباراتها الميكانيكية لأحدث أجهزة الطرد المركزي النووية المتطورة لديها، وقالت إن قدرته تبلغ عشرات أضعاف قدرة أول جهاز طرد مركزي امتلكته. وجاء إعلان إيران، السبت، في الوقت الذي تسعى القوى الغربية الكبرى لترميم الاتفاق النووي الذي انسحبت منه الولايات المتحدة بشكل أحادي عام 2018. ووفقا لإعلان التلفزيون الإيراني بمناسبة ذكرى “يوم التكنولوجيا النووية” الـ 15 في البلاد، فإن جهاز الطرد المركزي الجديد “IR-9” يتمتع بقدرة على فصل نظائر اليورانيوم بسرعة أكبر من قدرة الأجهزة الحالية، ما يعني تخصيب يورانيوم أكثر. وبحسب الإعلان، فإن إنتاجية جهاز الطرد المركزي “IR-9” تتجاوز قدرة الجهاز القديم “IR-1” بـ 50 مرة. في وقت سابق الشهر الماضي، قالت “جيروزاليم بوست” إن نشاط إسرائيل في منع طهران من الحصول على سلاح نووي لا ينتهي أبدا، وأن مواقع التخصيب القديمة والجديدة لن تكون آمنة. وجاء ذلك على خلفية تقرير للصحيفة الإسرائيلية يؤكد أن إيران لم تتعافَ بعد من تبعات الانفجار الذي تعرض له المبنى الرئيسي لمجمع نطنز النووي بأصفهان في يوليو الماضي. وقالت إيران إن “عملا تخريبيا” وراء انفجار يوليو، بينما أشارت تقارير إعلامية مختلفة إلى أن إسرائيل تقف أيضا وراء هذا الانفجار.
طهران: لا إصابات بشرية ولا تلوث إشعاعي حادث نووي “غامض” في نظنز الإيرانية أ. ف. ب./إيلاف من دبي/11 نيسان/2021 وقع “حادث” صباح الأحد في مصنع نطنز لتخصيب اليورانيوم في وسط إيران، لكنه لم يسفر عن ضحايا أو تلوث، حسب ما نقلت وكالة فارس عن المتحدث باسم منظمة الطاقة الذرية الإيرانية بهروز كمالوندي. وقال كمالوندي لوكالة فارس إن “مجمع الشهيد احمدي روشن تعرض لحادث فجر الاحد”، على مستوى “شبكة توزيع الكهرباء”. وكانت السلطات الإيرانية أطلقت في نطنز السبت مجموعات جديدة من أجهزة الطرد المركزي المحظورة بموجب الاتفاق النووي الإيراني الموقع في 2015. وأكد كمالوندي “عدم وقوع اصابات بشرية او تلوث اشعاعي نتيجة للحادث”، حسب وكالة فارس، موضحا أن “التحقيقات جارية لمعرفة الاسباب المؤدية الى الحادث، وسيتم الاعلان عنها في وقت لاحق”. ومنذ بداية تموز/يوليو أصيب مصنع لتجميع أجهزة للطرد المركزي بأضرار كبيرة بسبب انفجار غامض. وخلصت السلطات إلى “تخريب” من أصل “إرهابي”، لكنها لم تنشر حتى الآن نتائج تحقيقاتها. وفي مراسم عبر الانترنت، افتتح الرئيس حسن روحاني مصنع تجميع أجهزة الطرد المركزي الجديد في نطنز السبت وأمر في الوقت نفسه بتشغيل أو اختبار ثلاث مجموعات جديدة من هذه الأجهزة تسمح بتخصيب اليورانيوم بشكل أسرع. وجاء ذلك بينما تُجرى محادثات في فيينا بين الجمهورية الإسلامية والدول الأخرى التي لا تزال مشاركة في اتفاق 2015 (ألمانيا والصين وفرنسا وبريطانيا وروسيا) حول طريقة عودة الولايات المتحدة إلى الاتفاق المبرم في العاصمة النمساوية. اتفاق فيينا متعثر منذ أن انسحبت منه الولايات المتحدة من جانب واحد في 2018 في عهد الرئيس دونالد ترامب وإعادة فرض سيل من العقوبات الاقتصادية والمالية ضد إيران. ورداً على ذلك، بدأت طهران تتخلى تدريجيا عن التزاماها بموجب الاتفاق اعتبارا من أيار/مايو 2019 وتسارعت الوتيرة في الأشهر الأخيرة.
رئيس منظمة الطاقة الذرية الإيرانية: حادث نطنز إرهاب نووي روسيا اليوم/11 نيسان/2021 اعترف رئيس منظمة الطاقة الذرية الإيرانية علي أكبر صالحي بأن الحادث الغامض الذي وقع فجر اليوم الأحد في منشأة نطنز لتخصيب اليورانيوم كان بفعل فاعل. ووصف صالحي، في تصريحات أدلى بها اليوم الأحد، حادث نطنز بأنه “تحرك شائن وإرهاب نووي مدان”، مشددا على أن هذا الحادث يمثل مؤشرا على عجز معارضي التقدم الصناعي والسياسي في إيران عن منع تطور الصناعة النووية في هذا البلد. كما أشار المسؤول إلى أن حادث نطنز يدل على عجز معارضي المفاوضات النووية التي ترمي لرفع العقوبات الأميركية عن إيران. ودعا صالحي المجتمع الدولي والوكالة الدولية للطاقة الذرية إلى “التعامل مع الإرهاب النووي ضد إيران”، مضيفا أن طهران “تحتفظ بحقها في الرد على منفذي حادثة نطنز ومن يقف وراءهم ويدعمهم”.
خطة إيران لإعادة واشنطن إلى “الاتفاق الرديء”! محمد قواص/سكاي نيوز/11 نيسان/2021 توتر شديد اعترى ما صدر عن إيران في الأيام الأخيرة بصدد الملف النووي. وبدت مواقف طهران في تناقض مرتبك، لأنها تراوحت بين الإشادة بمباحثات فيينا من جهة، وإطلاق مواقف تصعيدية، من جهة ثانية. وصعدت إيران عبر افتتاح خطوط جديدة من أجهزة الطرد المركزي من جيل متقدم في مفاعل “نطنز”، وهو ما يلوح بسير البلد نحو تطوير قنبلة النووية. والحال أن إيران تسرّعت في توقعاتها بشأن الموقف الذي سيتخذه الرئيس الأميركي جو بايدن حال دخوله إلى البيت الأبيض. كانت طهران تتخيل أن الرجل سيندفع أمام كاميرات العالم للتوقيع على مرسوم عودة بلاده إلى “اتفاق فيينا” التزاما بوعوده الانتخابية، على منوال ما فعل سلفه دونالد ترامب أمام كاميرات العالم بالتوقيع على مرسوم الانسحاب من هذا الاتفاق التزاما أيضا بوعوده الانتخابية. والظاهر أن التعويل على رجل أميركا الجديد لم يأت من فراغ، ذلك أن تواصلا، عبر قنوات خلفية، كان قد تم بين إيران وجهات مقربة من المرشح الديمقراطي كانت تعد بما تأمله طهران، بدليل مواقف المرشح نفسه الواعدة في هذا الشأن. بيد أن حسابات الحقل في طهران لا تتطابق مع حسابات البيدر في واشنطن. ولئن يختلف النمط السلوكي لترامب عن خليفته بايدن، إلا أن حوافز الرجلين تنطلق من مصادر واحدة. لم يكن دونالد ترامب، رجل العقارات الكبير الوافد من مجتمع الأعمال، سياسيا محترفاً قبل أن يترشح للانتخابات الرئاسية في بلاده عام 2016. ولم يكن طبعا خبيرا في السياسة الخارجية والعلاقات الجيوستراتيجية في العالم. كما أن تظهير موقفه مبكراً في معاداة الاتفاق النووي لم يكن مادة استثنائية ضرورية حاصدة لأصوات الناخبين في أرياف أميركا ومزارعها، أو لدى المهمشين، الذين لطالما تجذبهم لغة فرص العمل ومستويات الدخل والخطاب الأميركي المحافظ. ما نطق به ترامب وما يسعى إليه بايدن يقومان على قرار المؤسسات الأميركية بالتعامل مع “خطأ” التسرع في تلفيق اتفاق عام 2015، الذي اكتشفت واشنطن سريعا أنه “اتفاق رديء”. وما يصدر عن طهران هذه الأيام يعكس اندهاشها من موقف الإدارة في البيت الأبيض، من حيث تمسكها بعقوبات ترامب رغم الاستعداد المتدرج لرفع جزئي لبعضها. وإذا ما كانت فكرة البرنامج النووي الإيراني تنهل حوافزها من امتلاك أداة رادعة لحماية نظام الجمهورية الإسلامية، فإن روحاني، الذي يمثل الواجهة “المعتدلة” التي تتعامل مع المجتمع الدولي، يتطوع نيابة عن كل المنظومة السياسية والأمنية والعسكرية الإيرانية، لإبلاغ العالم بأن بلاده تسير صوب سلاح سبق للمرشد علي خامنئي أن أفتى بـ “تحريم إنتاجه وتخزينه واستخدامه في ظل الإسلام”. لم تكن مفاوضات فيينا، التي تغزل بها نائب وزير الخارجية الإيراني عباس عراقجي ووصفها بالبناءة، سببا وجيهاً للتصعيد النووي الطارئ في إيران. لا شيء مفاجئ في العاصمة النمساوية يختلف عما هو مقرر من تشكيل لجنتين من الخبراء، واحدة لجرد انتهاكات إيران للاتفاق وواحدة لجرد العقوبات الأميركية والسير بمفاوضات لتبادل التنازلات. بيد أن طهران استنتجت من المناسبة أن واشنطن غير مستعجلة للعودة إلى الاتفاق، وفق ما أعلن روبرت مالي المبعوث الأميركي الخاص لشؤون إيران، الذي استبشرت طهران بتعيينه خيراً. واستنتجت أيضا ضرورة استعادة عدّتها القديمة، في التصعيد والتهويل والتهديد، التي قادت بالنهاية إلى الوصول إلى اتفاقها الشهير مع مجموعة الـ 5+1. لا تريد إيران إلا “التبشير”، علنا، ودون لبس أو حرج، بخططها للحصول على السلاح “المحرم”. لم تقتنع الولايات المتحدة وبريطانيا وفرنسا وألمانيا وروسيا والصين بفتوى المرشد، وفرضت على إيران، في “اتفاق فيينا”، قيوداً صارمة، منها عدم تجاوز تخصيب اليورانيوم نسبة 3.67 بالمئة بصفتها النسبة الكافية لكي ينحصر برنامج إيران النووي بالأغراض المدنية. وحين تتجاوز إيران، جهاراً، وبشكل رسمي، وبإبلاغ الوكالة الدولية للطاقة الذرية، النسبة التي وصلت إلى 20 بالمئة، ويدشن روحاني مرحلة تصل بها إلى أكثر من 50 بالمئة، فإن إيران تستدرج عجالة تراها داهمة لعودة الجميع إلى الاتفاق كما هو بنسخته الأصلية بصفته “النعمة” المتوفرة. لا تجري المفاوضات في فيينا فقط. كل المعنيين في العالم، وخصوصا في المنطقة، لا سيما إسرائيل يشاركون في تلك المفاوضات. منذ أيام دعا الأمير تركي الفيصل في منتدى في البحرين إلى استعداد المنطقة لليوم التالي لحيازة إيران القنبلة النووية. في التحذير تهديد بسباق تسلح نووي الزامي ستندفع نحوه بلدان المنطقة. وفي التحذير غضب وريبة من احتمال تعايش محتمل للعواصم الكبرى مع الاحتمال النووي الإيراني. إسرائيل، من جهتها، تدلي بدلو جديد يشكك بما تعده إدارة بايدن. بنيامين نتنياهو يتخذ موقفا لا يمكن اعتباره إلا معاديا لمقاربات واشنطن. يصدح بأن إسرائيل غير ملزمة بأي اتفاق مع إيران، فيما حرب السفن جارية على نحو نوعي ومتصاعد ضد إيران، وتتكثف الضربات الإسرائيلية ضد أهداف إيرانية في سوريا. ولئن ذهبت إدارة باراك أوباما إلى نسج الاتفاق النووي مع إيران تجنبا لحرب قد تشنها إسرائيل وتجنبا لتورط بلاده بحرب داعمة لإسرائيل، فإن عامل الأمن الإسرائيلي ليس تفصيلا داخل المؤسسات الأميركية الأمنية كما داخل الكونغرس ولدى لوبيات الدعم التقليدية، وهو أساس تقليدي في سياسة واشنطن في المنطقة وفي مقاربتها للملف النووي في إيران. والأمر من الجسارة بحيث تتوجه هذه الأيام وفود أمنية عسكرية إسرائيلية عالية المستوى إلى الولايات المتحدة ويتوجه وزير الدفاع الأميركي لويد أوستن إلى إسرائيل. الكونغرس الأميركي يشارك في مفاوضات فيينا. المشرعون من الحزبين،الجمهوري والديمقراطي، يحذرون البيت الأبيض. عدم الحصول على نسخة جيدة ومعدلة من “الاتفاق الرديء” لن يحظى بشرعية الكونغرس ولن برقى بالتالي إلى مستوى المعاهدة الملزمة للإدارات الأميركية المقبلة. ما يعني أن تفاهمات بايدن وطهران المحتملة سيطيح بها أي رئيس أميركي في المستقبل. وفي هذا رسالة أميركية إلى أصحاب القرار في واشنطن كما أصحاب القرار في طهران. تكدست انتهاكات إيران للاتفاق النووي وباتت غاية لا وسيلة. صارت الانتهاكات أوراق مقايضة تبتز طهران بها العالم للعودة إلى الاتفاق النووي بنسخته الرديئة. تعد إيران بالتخلي عن الانتهاكات، شرط العودة إلى اتفاق لا يخضع إلى أي تعديل، ولا تذهب المفاوضات إلى ملف البرنامج الصاروخي وسلوك إيران في المنطقة وملف حقوق الإنسان الذي أضافته إدارة بايدن. سيعمل الدبلوماسيون في فيينا. سيدلي سياسيو واشنطن وطهران بمواقف وتصريحات وفق أمزجة داخلية يومية. وستصدر عن عواصم الاتفاق علامات وإشارات. بيد أن أنشطة أخرى عسكرية أمنية مخابراتية خبيثة تعمل بصمت ونجاعة وجب مراقبتها لإسكات أي أخطار لا تتسق مع إيقاع المصالح الكبرى. فلا عجب أن يطرأ “حادث” في نطنز بعد ساعات على تدشين أجهزتها المركزية الطاردة.
What Iran is saying about the Natanz incident Seth J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/April/11 2021 Iranian media is being forthright about the current incident and downplaying it. A day after Iran bragged about its latest achievements in nuclear technology, including boasting about advanced centrifuges, Tehran says an “incident” occurred at the electricity network linked to the Natanz enrichment facility. The incident has received front-page coverage in Iranian media. Tehran is both downplaying its potential severity and also revealing it to the world. This messaging could indicate that the Islamic Republic wants to show that everything is under control or to use the incident as leverage. On Saturday, Iranian media reports said President Hassan Rouhani had ordered experts to “begin injecting gas to a new generation of centrifuges at Natanz enrichment facility. Iran also began the mechanical testing of IR-9 centrifuges and launched an assembly line for its new generation of centrifuges. In Natanz, the order was given to feed gas to 164 all-Iranian IR6 centrifuges, with 10 SWU – separative work units that indicate the amount of separation done by an enrichment process.” This has happened over recent months. Last July, the facility was damaged in a mysterious explosion Iran blamed on sabotage. On Saturday, it said such sabotage was unlikely again. Regarding last year’s incident at Natanz, there was a “terrorist act [and] part of the infrastructure of this center was destroyed,” the report on Saturday said. However, a new center for assembling centrifuges has now been completed, it said. “With this measure, in which all the localization power of the country has been used, from now on, the production of new centrifuge machines will be done without any trouble, and there will not be the slightest disturbance in this process,” the report said. On Sunday, the country “announced the occurrence of incidents this morning in a part of the electricity network of Shahid Ahmadi Roshan Natanz enrichment facility,” Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesman for Iran’s civilian nuclear program, said during an exclusive interview with Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency. The incident did not cause any injuries or pollution, Iran said. The cause of the accident is under investigation, and further information would be announced, Kamalvandi said.Iran referred to last July’s incident in its article on the current incident. On Saturday night, Atomic Energy Organization head Ali Akbar Salehi referred to the next-generation centrifuge assembly center that was inaugurated earlier in the day on the 15th national anniversary of nuclear technology. “The enemy blew up our centrifuge assembly hall a few months ago [in July 2020]… but that did not stop [our progress, because another hall is being used under] makeshift conditions,” he said in a televised interview. “Now we are working day and night in the heart of the mountain and near Natanz, and we hope that the desired sections in the heart of the mountain will be ready next year, and we will move these facilities there.”Iran is pushing forward with “gasification of a new generation [of] centrifuge machines that was carried out in Natanz Enrichment Complex. IR-9 centrifuge mechanical tests were started, and [a] new generation centrifuge assembly center was started,” Iranian media reported Sunday. Iranian media is being forthright about the current incident but is downplaying it.
Israel’s decades-long battle against Iran’s centrifuges at Natanz Jerusalem Post/April/11 2021 The history of the Jewish State’s fight to prevent the Islamic Republic creating nuclear weapons. 2002 An Iranian opposition group, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, held a press conference and revealed the existence of an underground enrichment plant in Natanz. Built in a heavily fortified bunker, Natanz showed that the Iranians had learned from the mistakes of the Iraqis, whose Osirak reactor was located above ground and was destroyed by Israel in 1981. The Mossad was suspected of having provided the Iranian opposition group with the information. 2007 Power supplies that were used to regulate voltage current at the Natanz enrichment plant blew up, destroying dozens of centrifuges. 2010 Stuxnet, a virus reportedly created by Israel and the United States, infiltrated Natanz and succeeded in destroying more than 1,000 centrifuges, causing significant delays to Iran’s nuclear program. The Stuxnet code caused the engines in Iran’s IR-1 centrifuges to increase and decrease their speed. Iran usually ran its motors at 1,007 cycles per second to prevent damage, while Stuxnet seemed to increase the motor speed to 1,064 cycles per second, causing the engines to explode. 2020 An explosion destroyed an advanced centrifuge assembly facility at Natanz in August, setting back advanced centrifuge development by an estimated one to two years. The explosion was meant to send an unambiguous deterrent message that Iran’s progress toward a nuclear weapon beyond certain redlines would not be tolerated, The Jerusalem Post reported. March 2021 Iran started enriching uranium at its underground Natanz nuclear facility using the advanced IR-4 centrifuge, the UN International Atomic Energy Agency nuclear watchdog reported. The development was a further breach of Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with the P5+1 major world powers and reflected its recovery from a blow suffered on July 2, 2020. April 2021 An “accident” was reported Sunday morning at the Natanz electricity distribution network, Atomic Energy Organization of Iran spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi told Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency. Based on reports, it seems the so-called accident was caused by a cyberattack, possibly by Israel. Iran had restarted enrichment at the Natanz facility, the IAEA reported less than a month ago. Last year, foreign sources blamed Israel for an alleged attack on the facility, which reportedly impacted Iran’s nuclear program significantly.
Iran: ‘Accident’ at nuclear plant Arutz Sheva Staff/April/11 2021 Iran’s civilian nuclear program says an “accident” has struck the electrical distribution grid of the country’s Natanz nuclear facility, without elaborating, according to AP. Behrouz Kamalvandi reportedly made the comment Sunday, saying there were no injuries nor pollution caused by the incident. The incident comes after an explosion in July damaged Natanz’s advanced centrifuge facility. Iran later called the incident sabotage. “This incident was unfortunately an act of sabotage and the security organizations should study the incident thoroughly and they have to speak about it and their investigations will continue,” Kamalvandi said at the time, according to the semiofficial Fars news agency. “As far as we know, they have identified the culprits and know their incentives and methods and actually, they have full knowledge over the issue,” he added. On July 2, Iran reported an “incident” at the Natanz complex, but said it caused no casualties and failed to stop enrichment work at the facility. A member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Committee later said the blast at Natanz was caused by a “security breach”, and a subsequent report said Iran had ruled out drone or missile attacks as the cause of the blast. The explosion at Natanz occurred six days after an explosion near a military complex in Parchin area southeast of Tehran rocked the Iranian capital. Authorities blamed that blast on “leaking gas tanks”.
‘Mossad behind cyber attack against Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility’ Yonah Jeremy Bob/Jerusalem Post/April 11/2021 Western intelligence sources claim that Iran’s main uranium enrichment plant was hit by Israeli cyber attack, launched by the Mossad. The Mossad was reportedly behind the cyber attack at the Natanz nuclear plant on Sunday which has caused extensive damage to Iran’s main uranium enrichment facility. Western sources quoted in Israeli media said that the attack – initially referred to as an “accident” by Iran – was carried out by the Mossad Iran admitted on Sunday evening that the so-called “accident” was the result of a “terrorist” act. The country’s nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi said that the international community and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) needed to deal with what he called nuclear terrorism. He added that Iran reserves the right to take action against the perpetrators, TV reported. Earlier in the day, The Jerusalem Post revealed that the incident at Natanz was not an “accident” and that the damage was worse than what Iran had initially presenting to the public. Western sources claimed that the facility was hit by a cyber attack. Natanz has in the past been targeted by Israeli cyber operations, according to foreign reports. In 2010, the Stuxnet virus attacked the facility in a joint operation with the United States, destroying over 1,000 centrifuges. “The IDF’s operations in the Middle East are not hidden from the eyes of the enemies,” IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi said during a Remembrance Day ceremony on Sunday. “Thanks to complex and sophisticated operations, the past year has been one of the safest years known to the citizens of the State of Israel. We will continue to act with power and discretion.” Iran claimed that there were no injuries or pollution caused by the incident. Malek Shariati Niasar, an Iranian MP and spokesman for a parliamentary energy commission, wrote that the incident is highly suspected as “sabotage,” as it occurred on Iran’s National Nuclear Technology Day and amid the renewal of talks between the Islamic Republic and Western nations on the JCPOA nuclear deal. Niasar added that the Iranian parliament is following the details of the incident and will announce an opinion on the matter after receiving and summarizing the information. Iran said earlier on Sunday that a problem with the electrical distribution grid of the Natanz site had caused an incident. Iranian MP Ali Haddady placed the blame for the incident on Israel. “Yesterday the assassination of a nuclear scientist and today the attack on the Iranian ship Saviz and the sabotage of the Natanz nuclear facility,” tweeted Hadaddy. The MP called for deterrence, not restraint, saying “when commitment is translated as restraint, the Zionist enemy dares to strike more blows.” The attack against Natanz took place a day after the country had begun injecting uranium hexaflouride gas into advanced IR-6 and IR-5 centrifuges at Natanz and was revealed as U Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was visiting Israel. It also came less than a month after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran had restarted enrichment at the Natanz facility and less than a year after Israel was blamed by foreign reports for an alleged attack on the facility, which reportedly impacted Iran’s nuclear program significantly. THE POST recently reported that Iran is still nowhere near having recovered to the point where it had been before that July 2020 explosion in terms of its capacity for assembling new advanced centrifuges. In the alleged attack last year, Iranian reports also originally referred to the explosion as an “incident” without providing further details. “The centrifuge assembly hall was blown up by the enemy a few months ago, but we did not stop and temporarily set up the hall that made up for the lost hall,” said AEO head Ali Akbar Salehi on Saturday, according to Fars. Salehi did not specify which “enemy” was behind the attack last year. Salehi added that Iran is working to move sensitive facilities at Natanz further underground, with hopes that new underground halls will be ready next year. The attack also comes as tensions are rising between Israel and Iran amid a number of attacks on Iranian and Israeli maritime vessels, with recent reports claiming that Israel has hit dozens of Iranian ships in recent years. On Tuesday, a spokesman for the Iranian military blamed Israel and the US for causing an explosion on the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ Saviz vessel in the Red Sea, in a statement to Sputnik news on Thursday. “The United States undoubtedly has a hand in all attempts to undermine and harm Iran,” said the spokesman, adding that Tehran was not accusing any of the Gulf states of being involved in the incident. The report also comes as Iran meets with European and American officials to discuss a possible return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the formal name for the nuclear agreement signed in 2015 between the Islamic Republic and world powers. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned multiple times in the past week that Israel would defend itself against Iranian threats, stressing that Jerusalem would work to combat Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Reuters contributed to this report.
What is going on in Iran? Cyber experts weigh in Akiva Spiegelman/Arutz Sheva/April/2021 Iran’s Natanz nuclear site suffered an electrical disturbance just hours after starting up new advanced centrifuges used to enrich uranium. Since this morning, the media has also gone on a frenzy in an attempt to provide its various viewers a complete a picture as possible regarding the power outage in Iran’s Natanz nuclear plant. Arutz Sheva has gathered a number of cyber experts to discuss the situation and its potential aftermath. Eric Barbing, former head of the Shin Bet cyber division: ‘The case in Natanz connects to things that are happening in the region right now, and assuming that this is not an administrative incident, it seems at the moment that it is only a message and damage to consciousness. Iran has gone through a difficult year as a country with a strategy of silencing events that harm government or government services. In the present case it is a relatively rare coincidence, probably in one of their strategic places in which the infrastructure is expected to show exceptional strength. When there is such a power outage, even if it is not related to the operational axis and is related to the Iranian nuclear project, we are left with a number of questions. As stated, no abnormal activity has been recorded at the moment, but this is a message. Various cyber tools may be used here. Berbing then added: ‘The person who caused the power outage performs a gentle message transmission. It does not seem coincidental. The very media preoccupation with the subject causes the inter-arena struggle to be used as a deterrent. In cyber bodies will never take responsibility. This is a cold war and yet not such a cold one. If any player, including Israel, wanted them to know they were responsible for the action, they would make their intention clear. This is currently not the case. The damage at the moment, as stated, is on a conscious level alone’. Dr. Harel Menashri, head of the Cyber Faculty at the Holon Institute of Technology as well as one of the founders of the National Cyber Security Authority: ‘It is possible this is a cyber attack. There are a number of countries with capabilities and a desire to carry out such actions. It should be noted that one of the things that delayed the Iranian nuclear program is covert activity that includes activity in cyberspace. About a year ago there was an explosion in the same compound. If the Iranians reported it than it is probably an unusual event. When asked about the extent of the damage, Dr. Menshari elaborated: ‘The damage is substantial and therefore has been published. If there is a malfunction in the power plant electric grid, it may produce damage similar to the one inflicted upon the centrifuge. How far back does the damage send the Iranians? ‘It is clear that the move does not stop but only hinders the progress of the Iranian nuclear program. The nuclear situation is currently several times worse than before the 2016 nuclear deal termination. Once the US withdrew from the agreement the Iranians gained breathing space and began to act in an uncontrolled manner. What can be done now? ‘It is definitely worth making more moves like the one made yesterday and we must embrace the US administration. without them we will not be able to move forward and stop the nuclear development’. Dr. Yoel Guzansky, senior fellow at the INSS: ‘Power outages happen often, and they may or may not be innocent ones. The timing is quite interesting as well. This event occurs on the eve of talks in Vienna regarding the nuclear deal alongside tensions at sea. I feel the timing is not coincidental and is intended to send a message to Iran. Iran has recently made progress in the study of centrifuges, therefore Israel may not be alone in its efforts to contain the regime and keep it in check. Centrifuges can get out of balance as a result of a power outage, I am awaiting the evaluation of the Atomic Energy Commission in order to draw a conclusion. What could have brought on such an action? The naval activities carried out by Israel come to warn of the Iranian actions in Syria. I guess there is coordination here between all sorts of countries with overlapping interests. The damaged ship intelligence-wise controlled a strategic area. The injury was a message to its operators that they may have crossed a certain red line’. What is the extent of the damage? ‘It is too early to know and if it was indeed done from the outside, it shows Iran that there are red lines and that crossing them will come at a price. From an intelligence standpoint, this shows how intrusive and vulnerable the most sensitive place in Iran actually is. This is a sharp warning message, and it is not yet clear from whom’.
Defense officials call to probe leak of alleged Israeli op. against Iran Yonah Jeremy Bob/Jerusalem Post/April 11/2021 The revelation of this alleged Israeli involvement was unusual in that generally Israel prefers to keep a low profile if it undertakes such attacks. There were calls over the weekend by Israeli defense officials to probe the leak of an alleged sensitive IDF operation against Iran to foreign media. Earlier this week, The New York Times reported that Israel notified the US that it was responsible for Tuesday’s attack on an Iranian cargo ship which was a central pillar of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps intelligence apparatus in the region. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed on Wednesday that the Saviz was slightly damaged in the Red Sea off the coast of Djibouti around 6 a.m. on Tuesday due to an explosion, though they had not reached a conclusion about the cause. The revelation of this alleged Israeli involvement was unusual in that generally Israel prefers to keep a low profile if it undertakes such attacks in order to provide the attacked-side, here Iran, an alibi to save face and avoid needing to retaliate.While leaks months after an explosion at a key Iranian nuclear facility in July 2020 eventually seems to have led to Israel, there was an elaborate public relations campaign to point the finger in other directions. In contrast, such a quick almost real-time taking credit increases the prospect of retaliation by the Islamic Republic. Haaretz and others have reported that an individual who leaked the operation’s details asked the reporter to wait with its publication, after the defense establishment had decided to postpone it by one day. The operation was reportedly classified as high-risk for the soldiers involved and was planned as part of a wider strategy by the Defense Ministry to prevent Iran’s further establishment in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East. The fact that such a sensitive operation was leaked raised concerns among Israel’s top security officials, which stressed that publishing any information about the operation beforehand would put lives at risk. Eventually, the operation was successfully carried out a day after its original date. Its details were then published by the media outlet that originally received the leaked information – presumed to be The New York Times. There appear to be two versions of the leak. In one version, an Israeli official updated a counterpart American official with the understanding that the US would keep the information confidential. This was based on understandings followed in recent years as a condition for Israel being more open with the US. In another version, the Israeli leak to the US, or in some other fashion to the media, was illegal, and may need to be investigated. Some sources are pointing fingers at the US, while others are implying rival defense or intelligence officials within Israel. The Prime Minister’s Office and Defense Minister Benny Gantz had not commented by press time.
Gantz to Austin: We will work with US to ensure new Iran deal protects Israel Reuters/Jerusalem Post/April 11/2021 Austin says the US remains committed to Israel’s security and will work with the IDF to ensure its qualitative military edge in the Middle East. The United States remains committed to Israel’s security and will work with the IDF to ensure its qualitative military edge in the Middle East, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Sunday shortly after finishing a meeting with Defense Minister Benny Gantz. Gantz said that he told Austin Israel will work closely with America to ensure that a new nuclear deal with Iran does not threaten the State of Israel. “The Tehran of today poses a strategic threat to international security, to the entire Middle East and to the State of Israel and we will work closely with our American allies to ensure that any new agreement with Iran will secure the vital interests of the world, of the US, prevent a dangerous arms race in our region and protect the State of Israel,” Gantz said. Gantz’s comment of working together with the US comes days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a sharp warning to the United States that any agreement with Iran that allows it a path to develop nuclear weapons will not be binding on the Jewish state. “To our best friends I say – an agreement with Iran which paves its way to nuclear weapons that threaten us with destruction – an agreement like this will not bind us,” Netanyahu said last Wednesday. Austin arrived in Israel on Sunday on the first visit by a senior representative of the Biden administration, whose stance on Iran has worried Israel’s government. Austin said he was pleased with the conversations with Gantz. The Biden administration, he said, has a strong commitment to Israel and its security. “Our bilateral relationship with Israel is central to regional stability,” he said. Israel views the United States as a “full partner” and will work closely with its ally to ensure any new diplomatic accord with Iran does not compromise regional security, Gantz told his US counterpart. Austin said that the two also discussed continued normalization between Israel and other Arab countries in the Middle East. “This is a relationship built on trust that had developed over decades of cooperation,” he said. “Our commitment to Israel is enduring and ironclad.”Austin is due to meet Netanyahu during the two-day visit, which officials said would include discussions of US arms supplies to Israel. Washington has sought to reassure Israel on regional security issues while restarting talks – so far indirect and inconclusive – about a US return to the 2015 nuclear deal between major powers and Iran that the previous Trump administration quit. Israel has long been critical of the deal that it sees as putting a temporary cap on Iranian nuclear capabilities that would pave the way to Tehran producing bombs in the long run. It has said it would not be bound by the diplomacy. Israel and Iran have in recent weeks reported sabotage to their ships at sea. Syria has accused Israel of air strikes on its territory. Israel says it is trying to stem a build-up of Iranian forces within next-door Syria. On Sunday, Iran’s Press TV said an electricity problem had caused an incident at the Natanz underground uranium enrichment site, without casualties or pollution. Tehran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. Israel, which lists cyber-sabotage in its arsenal, had no immediate comment on the Natanz incident.
