An underground nuclear site in Iran suddenly and mysteriously lost power on Sunday after the facility started up advanced centrifuges that could enrich the uranium more quickly as negotiations continue on the nuclear deal that the US pulled out in 2018, according to reports.
Iranian officials were investigating the outage in Natanz as media outlets in Israel suggested the outage could be the result of cyber attacks, the Associated Press reported.
The Natanz facility is the cornerstone of Iran’s uranium enrichment program and is overseen by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN’s watchdog.
At the same time, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as the US hopes to renew Iran’s Obama-era nuclear accord signed with six world powers.
Israeli Defense Secretary Benny Gantz reiterated its close relationship with the US, saying it would work with the US on Iran, expecting its security to remain a priority.
“Israel sees the United States as a full partner in all operational theaters, not least Iran,” Gantz said after a meeting with Austin.
“And we will work closely with our US allies to ensure that any new agreement with Iran will safeguard the vital interests of the world and the United States, prevent a dangerous arms race in our region and protect the State of Israel,” said he. .
Austin’s visit to Israel is the first of a top Biden official.
He said the alliance between the two countries is central to maintaining security in the Middle East and said the US would ensure Israel retained its “qualitative military edge.”
“Our bilateral relationship with Israel in particular is central to regional stability and security in the Middle East. During our meeting, I reaffirmed to Secretary Gantz that our commitment to Israel is enduring and rock-solid, ”said Austin.
A spokesman for the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization said there were no ‘casualties or contamination’ caused by the power outage, adding that ‘electricity at the Natanz plant’ had been compromised.
“The cause of this incident is under investigation,” Behrouz Kamalvandi told Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, Reuters reported.
Malek Shariati Niasar, a Tehran-based lawmaker who serves as spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s energy committee, called the outage in a Twitter post “ very suspicious, ” raising the possibility of “ sabotage and infiltration, ” the AP reported .
When asked whether the blackout was due to “technical failure or sabotage,” Kamalvandi declined to comment.
Former President Donald Trump withdrew from the pact in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran as part of a “maximum pressure campaign.”
But last week, State Department spokesman Ned Price said the US is willing to lift sanctions that are “inconsistent” with the 2015 deal.
“We are ready to take the necessary steps to return to compliance with the JCPOA, including by lifting sanctions that are not in line with the JCPOA,” said Price, referring to the agreement’s official name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
His comments came when indirect talks were held in Vienna about the US return to the pact.
They take place between all entities involved in the original nuclear deal with Iran – China, France, Russia, Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union – as member states work to return the U.S. to the United States. deal.