“The alleged Israeli attack on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility targeted an electrical substation located 40 to 50 meters underground and damaged “thousands of centrifuges,” Iranian officials revealed in recent days. Fereydoon Abbasi-Davani, former head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, told Iranian media on Monday that the attack hit an electrical substation located deep underground and managed to damage both the power distribution system and the cable leading to the centrifuges in order to cut power to them. The Iranian official stressed that such an operation takes years, saying “the design of the enemy was very beautiful.” Davani added that the substation was built underground in order to protect it from air and missile strikes, and that the attack was carried out either via cyber, sabotaged equipment or sabotage committed by agents. The Jerusalem Post has learned that the attack was carried out through an explosive device that was smuggled into the facility and detonated remotely. An intelligence official told The New York Times on Tuesday that the attack took out both the primary and backup electrical systems.” See “Natanz attack hit 50 meters underground, destroyed most of the facility,” Tzvi Joffre and Yonah Jeremy Bob, Jerusalem Post, April 13, 2021.
How interesting. What are Russia and China telling Iran? “This ‘reserves the right’ story about retaliation appears to be a dialing back of Iran’s claims it would retaliate.” See “Day 3 after Natanz: Iran reiterates ‘right’ to retaliate,” Seth Frantzman, Jerusalem Post, April 13, 2021.
FM Zarif appears. “Israel made a ‘very bad gamble’ by sabotaging Iranian nuclear site: Zarif,” Parisa Hafezi, Reuters, April 13, 2021.
“Details remained scarce about what happened early Sunday at Natanz. The event was initially described only as a blackout in the electrical grid feeding above-ground workshops and underground enrichment halls — but later Iranian officials began referring to it as an attack. Israeli media, which has close ties with the military and intelligence services of that country, have described the sabotage as a cyberattack, without offering evidence or sourcing to support that. The extent of the damage at Natanz also remains unclear, though Iran’s Foreign Ministry has described it as damaging Iran’s first-generation IR-1 centrifuges, the workhorse of its nuclear program. A former Iranian Revolutionary Guard chief said Tuesday that the assault set off a fire while a civilian nuclear program spokesman mentioned a “possible minor explosion.” In remarks aired late Monday by state television. the former head of the country’s civilian nuclear arm offered his own description of the attack, calling its design “very beautiful.” The attack appeared to target both the power grid at Natanz, as well as the facility’s emergency backup power fed by separate batteries, Fereidoun Abbasi Davani said. Davani said a similar attack targeted Iran’s underground Fordo facility in 2012 with two explosions: one 30 kilometers (18.5 miles) away at a power station and the other at Fordo’s emergency battery system. “We had predicted that and we were using a separate power grid,” Davani said. “They hit but nothing happened for our machines.” See “Iran warns sabotage affects Vienna talks over nuclear deal,” Jon Gambrell, AP, Daily Independent, April 13, 2021.
“Iran Says It Will Enrich Uranium to 60%, Highest Level Ever,” Jon Gambrell, AP, April 13, 2021.
Not everyday the Ayatollah calls and asks you to run for president. Or tells you not to. “This was reportedly at the request of current Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.” See “Iran: Grandson of first supreme leader drops presidential bid,” Tzvi Joffre, Jerusalem Post, April 13, 2021.
“Third Israeli-owned Ship Attacked Near UAE; Israeli Defense Sources Blame Iran,” Amos Harel. Jack Khoury, and Yaniv Kubovich, Haaretz, April 13, 2021.
“Iran urges closer defense cooperation with Russia,” Xinhua, April 13, 2021.
How often does Lavrov visit Jerusalem? “Russia’s Lavrov visits Tehran amid escalating tensions with Israel over Iran nuclear deal,” France 24, April 13, 2021.