Iran says Natanz atomic site blackout is act of ‘nuclear terrorism’

Iran’s top nuclear official said on Sunday that power failure at the Natanz nuclear facility near Tehran is “nuclear terrorism.”

Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said the act was an attempt to thwart the ongoing negotiations with the US in Vienna, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA.

Condemning the act, Salehi called on the international community and the International Atomic Energy Agency for a response.

Earlier, Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesperson of the AEOI, reported an “accident” in parts of the electrical grid at the facility.

He said there were no casualties or leaks, and the cause was being investigated.

The accident came a day after Tehran unveiled new advanced uranium centrifuges.

Tensions between Iran and its long-time adversary Israel have escalated in recent months, especially after diplomatic efforts led by US President Joe Biden to revive the nuclear deal.

Former President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the Iranian nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, in 2018.

Last year, Iran’s top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was assassinated. Tehran blamed Tel Aviv for the killing, saying it would retaliate. (Anadolu Agency)