DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — In a significant admission, a high-ranking official from Iran has revealed that Israel has equipped Iran with centrifuge platforms embedded with explosives intended for the nation’s nuclear enrichment initiatives. This disclosure emphasizes the advanced level of sabotage efforts being directed at Iran.
The statements from Mohammad Javad Zarif, who previously served as Iran’s foreign minister and now holds a vice presidency under reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, appear to be directed at clarifying the difficulties faced by the Iranian government amidst heavy Western sanctions related to its nuclear program. Furthermore, Zarif’s comments echoed earlier reports from Israel concerning an assault on Iran’s underground Natanz nuclear facility in 2021.
This week’s announcement illustrates the ongoing risks for Iran following Israeli attacks during the ongoing conflict involving Hamas in Gaza. Such tensions are likely to escalate with the recent election of Donald Trump, who is anticipated to return to the White House shortly.
During an interview with a program affiliated with the Institute for the Compilation and Publication of Imam Khomeini’s Works, Zarif explained how previous Iranian purchases were compromised. “This is part of the damage of sanctions, that you are forced to receive (purchases) through multiple dealers instead of buying from a factory directly,” he detailed. He warned that Israeli forces could exploit vulnerabilities in this process to sabotage their efforts, saying, “If the Zionist regime can infiltrate one of the dealers, then it can do anything.”
He went on to specify that officials from the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran had procured a centrifuge platform that had been tampered with by Israeli agents, including the addition of explosive materials. While he did not delve into further specifics, this remark marks a pivotal admission regarding the extent of Mossad’s infiltration into Iran’s nuclear activities.
The Iranian nuclear program has previously faced severe intrusions. Notably, in July 2020, an explosion devastated Natanz’s advanced centrifuge assembly, a move attributed to Israel by Iranian officials. Another explosion occurred in April 2021, targeting one of Natanz’s underground enrichment sites. Later, Yossi Cohen, the former head of Israel’s Mossad, suggested in an interview that operative sabotage was responsible for the incidents, claiming that the explosives had been cleverly delivered under the guise of construction materials.
These events unfolded during the tenure of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been at the forefront of Israeli military action amidst rising hostilities since Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in heavy casualties. The ongoing conflict has led to significant loss of life, with reports estimating over 46,000 Palestinian fatalities.
As negotiations between Israel and Hamas appear to edge closer to a potential ceasefire, concerns about Iran’s advancing nuclear program persist. Following the 2018 withdrawal of the United States from an international agreement with Iran, which significantly limited its nuclear ambitions, Iran has progressively breached these restrictions, enriching uranium at levels alarmingly close to those suitable for weaponization.
Despite these escalations, Iranian officials maintain that their nuclear pursuits are for peaceful purposes and express a willingness to engage in negotiations. In a recent NBC interview, Pezeshkian stated, “The issue lies not within dialogue itself, but rather the commitments stemming from it.” He reflected on Iran’s compliance with previous obligations, highlighting that it was other parties who failed to uphold their end of the agreements.
Both Israel and the U.S., alongside President Biden and Trump, have continuously issued warnings about preventing Iran from attaining nuclear weapon capabilities, raising apprehensions regarding a potential preemptive strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, a strategy previously employed by Israel against Iraq and Syria. When confronted with the possibility of such military actions, Pezeshkian affirmed, “We do not fear war, but we don’t seek it.”
