Daily US Times: Israel appeared to confirm claims that it carried out a cyber-attack on Iran’s main nuclear facility in Natanz on Sunday, which Iran’s nuclear energy chief described as an act of terrorism that warranted a response against its perpetrators.
The apparent attack took place just hours after Natanz reactor officials restarted spinning advanced centrifuges that could speed up the production of enriched uranium, in what had been billed as a pivotal moment in the country’s nuclear programme.
As authorities in the country scrambled to deal with a large-scale blackout at Natanz, which Iran’s Atomic Energy Agency acknowledged had damaged the electricity grid at the site. Aviv Kochavi, the Israeli defence chief, said the country’s “operations in the Middle East are not hidden from the eyes of the enemy”.
Israel imposed no censorship restrictions on coverage of the Natanz neclear site power blackout as it had often done after similar previous incidents and the apparent attack was widely covered by Israeli media.
Public radio took the unusual step of claiming that the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad had played a central role.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said later Sunday that “the struggle against Iran and its proxies and the Iranian armament efforts is a huge mission”.
Mr Netanyahu added: “The situation that exists today will not necessarily be the situation that will exist tomorrow,” but he did not elaborate more.
The unexplained shutdown is thought to be the latest in a series of exchanges between Tel Aviv and Tehran, who have fought an extensive and escalating shadow war across the Middle East over more than decade, centred on Iran’s involvement in matters beyond its borders and its nuclear programme.
You may read: ‘Suspicious’ blackout strikes Iran’s Natanz nuclear site
