Iran hunts down "Israeli infiltrators" after the explosion that took place last Sunday in one of the largest nuclear power plants in the country. The spies of the Jewish state are accused of having blown up the electrical systems essential for the operation of the plant. Although the Iranian authorities minimize the incident, this is the third major "internal attack" suffered in less than a year. The electrical failure at the Natanz uranium enrichment plant was caused by an explosion in an underground generator. The failure, one day after testing began on a new line of uranium enrichment centrifuges, was initially attributed to a cyber attack by an already identified suspect. The Iranians, in this regard, highlight that even the Israeli press these days are talking about intelligence figures, as responsible for the attack. If so, it would be the second time in a year that the Natanz facility has been attacked, probably with help from within. An explosion in a warehouse that was developing centrifuges caused a large fire last July. In November, a Mossad unit killed Brigadier General Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, head of the military side of the nuclear program.
The internal moles. The Iranians argue that there is certainly a mole to carry out such attacks, someone who helps them from within. Mohsen Rezaie, former head of the Revolutionary Guard and now head of the supreme leader's advisory body, said the latest incident shows how much the country needs to improve its internal security. However, the regime promised revenge. Mohammad Javad Zarif, the foreign minister, called the attack an attempt by Israel to undermine ongoing indirect talks with the United States to restore the 2015 nuclear deal: "The Zionists want to take revenge because of our progress on the path of lifting sanctions", Zarif said in the state media. "They have publicly said that they will not allow it, but we will take revenge against the Zionists ".
The Iranian nuclear program, which according to Israel aims to produce an atomic weapon, is centered on the creation of explosive material enriched with uranium. The program has been repeatedly attacked by Israeli intelligence, the Mossad. In 2010, the Stuxnet computer virus sent the centrifuges out of control. Last year's Natanz fire was one of several mysterious incidents affecting sensitive state military and nuclear sites in Iran. Sunday's blast occurred as Lloyd Austin, the new US Secretary of Defense, was on a visit to Israel to ensure that US support had not waned, whatever the outcome of the nuclear talks.