Iranian Nuclear Site Hit by Blackout in Alleged Israeli Attack

A map of known sites in Iran with connections to their nuclear program, including the site in Natanz (Wikipedia)

An Iranian nuclear enrichment facility in the city of Natanz was hit with a power blackout local officials have classified as an act of Israeli “nuclear terrorism” on April 11. Intelligence officials, who spoke to the New York Times on condition of anonymity, claimed that damage to the facility was substantial and that it would take months to return to previous levels of production. No casualties have been reported. 

In the immediate aftermath of the attack, Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif vowed on state TV to “take our revenge against the Zionists.” On April 13, an Israeli ship was struck by an Iranian missile in the Arabian Sea, though reports say the damage was minor. 

Additionally, the Iranian government denounced a man named Reza Karimi as their main suspect. Karimi, an Iranian citizen, is said by state TV to have fled the country before he could be apprehended. 

The news comes at a heightened period of tensions between the two countries. Iran, which does not officially recognize the legitimacy of the Israeli state, is alleged to have fired a missile at an Israeli-owned ship in March. Around the same time, Israeli mines struck several Iranian-owned ships transporting oil to Syria: a violation of sanctions imposed on both countries. 

The Iranian nuclear program has been a subject of international concern over fears that the country wishes to obtain a nuclear weapon—an accusation Iran ardently denies. Although Iran and several other countries came to an agreement in 2015 in which Iran would limit its nuclear capabilities in return for relief from economic sanctions, this deal was abandoned by the Trump administration. 

Currently, a new round of talks is taking place in Vienna to readdress the sanctions imposed on Iran by the international community as part of the 2015 deal. These talks were interrupted by the blackout, and further complicated by an announcement that Iran would begin to produce uranium at 60 percent enrichment—three times Iran’s previous enrichment level, and close to weapons-grade quality. 

The blackout attack may have reduced Iran’s leverage in the Vienna negotiations, as its ability to produce 60 percent enriched uranium at any quantity more than a few grams an hour will be substantially reduced for the foreseeable future. That being said, it may also lead to Iran becoming more protective of the uranium-producing facilities it already has, and Iran may be less willing to make substantial concessions.