Suspicious' blackout strikes Iran's Natanz nuclear site
Source: ABC News
Iran's underground Natanz nuclear facility lost power Sunday just hours after starting up new advanced centrifuges capable of enriching uranium faster, the latest incident to strike the site amid negotiations over the tattered atomic accord with world powers.
As Iranian officials investigated the outage, many Israeli media outlets offered the similar assessment that a cyberattack darkened Natanz and damaged a facility that is home to sensitive centrifuges. While the reports offered no sourcing for the evaluation, Israeli media maintains a close relationship with the country's military and intelligence agencies.
If Israel caused the blackout, it further heightens the tensions between the two nations already engaged in a shadow conflict across the wider Middle East.
It also complicates efforts by the U.S., Israel's main security partner, to re-enter the atomic accord aimed at limiting Tehran's program so it couldn't pursue a nuclear weapon if it chose. As news of the blackout emerged, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin landed in Israel on Sunday for talks with Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz.
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/official-accident-strikes-irans-natanz-nuclear-facility-77002407
oldsoftie
(12,523 posts)They know full well that Iran is a much bigger threat to them than Israel ever was.
Now they are in self preservation mode
Jay25
(417 posts)While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, suspicion fell immediately on Israel, where its media nearly uniformly reported a devastating cyberattack orchestrated by the country caused the blackout.
Mosby
(16,297 posts)Saudi Arabia said they will obtain nukes if the Iranians do. So have other gulf states.
Last thing the world needs is a nuclear arms race in the middle east.