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'We will take our revenge from the Zionists': Iran blames Israel for Natanz incident

WION Web Team
NEW DELHIUpdated: Apr 12, 2021, 01:26 PM IST
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File photo: Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Photograph:(Reuters)

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"The Zionists want to take revenge because of our progress in the way to lift sanctions ... they have publicly said that they will not allow this. But we will take our revenge from the Zionists," Zarif said.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that his government will take revenge for the damage caused to Natanz nuclear facility, blaming its regional arch-foe Israel for Sunday's incident.

Tehran has said the site was hit by "nuclear terrorism".

Also read: Iran atomic agency claims nuclear facility hit by 'terrorism'

"The Zionists want to take revenge because of our progress in the way to lift sanctions ... they have publicly said that they will not allow this. But we will take our revenge from the Zionists," Zarif said.

Earlier, Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation said on Sunday that its Natanz nuclear facility was hit by a terrorist act. This claim was made hours after it had said that an "accident" had caused a power failure there.

The episode has come a day after Iran said it had started advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges at the site. This is a breach of its commitment under the 2015 nuclear deal.

Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Iran Atomic Energy Organisation (IAEO), condemned a "futile" act while urging the international community to "confront this anti-nuclear terrorism",  in a statement carried by state television.

He said the disruption at the Natanz facility that's home to thousands of gas centrifuges, showed there was an attempt to thwart both Iran's atomic progress and the ongoing diplomacy in Vienna, state TV reported.

(With inputs from agencies)