An underground nuclear site in Iran suddenly and mysteriously lost power on Sunday after the plant launched advanced centrifuges that make it possible to enrich uranium faster as negotiations continue based on the nuclear deal the US withdrew in 2018, according to reports .
Iranian officials are investigating the disruption in Natanz as media in Israel suggested the disruption could be the result of cyber attacks, the Associated Press reported.
The Natanz plant is the cornerstone of Iran’s uranium enrichment program and is monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN watchdog.
At the same time, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as the United States hopes to renew the Iran nuclear deal signed in the Obama era with six world powers.
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz reiterated his close relationship with the US, saying he would cooperate with the US on Iran while expecting its security to remain a priority.
“Israel regards the United States as a full partner in all operational theaters, not least in Iran,” Gantz said after meeting with Austin.
“And we will work closely with our American allies to ensure that any new agreement with Iran secures the interests of the world and the United States, prevents a dangerous arms race in our region, and protects the State of Israel,” he said. said. .
Austin’s visit to Israel is the first by a top administrator of Biden.
He said the alliance between the two countries was important for maintaining security in the Middle East, and said the US would ensure that Israel maintained its ‘qualitative military lead’.
“Our bilateral relationship with Israel is particularly central to stability and security in the Middle East. “During our meeting, I reaffirmed to Minister Gantz that our commitment to Israel is lasting, and that is iron ore,” Austin said.
A spokesman for Iran’s nuclear energy organization said no “casualties or pollution” was caused by the eclipse, adding that “electricity at the Natanz plant has been affected.”
“The cause of this incident is being investigated,” Behrouz Kamalvandi told the Iran semi-official Fars news agency.
Malek Shariati Niasar, a lawmaker in Tehran who serves as spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s energy committee, called the interruption “very suspicious” on Twitter and posted the possibility of ‘sabotage and infiltration’, the AP reported.
Asked if the eclipse was due to ‘technical deficiency or sabotage’, Kamalvandi declined to comment.
Former President Donald Trump withdrew from the treaty in 2018 and again imposed sanctions on Iran as part of a ‘maximum pressure campaign’.
Last week, Secretary of State Ned Price said the United States was prepared to lift sanctions that were “contrary” to the 2015 agreement.
“We are prepared to take the necessary steps to comply with the JCPOA again, including by lifting sanctions that are in conflict with the JCPOA,” Price said, referring to the agreement with his official name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan. of Action.
His comments come when indirect talks were held in Vienna over the return to the treaty in the US.
It takes place among all entities involved in Iran’s original nuclear deal – China, France, Russia, Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union – while member states work to bring the US back to the agreement.