NationStates

An Iranian Nuclear facility, Natanz, was reportedly attacked recently. Iran has deemed the attack terrorism and blames Israel for the incident.
It is unclear whether this was a cyber attack or it it was a physical act of sabotage. It occurred just hours after Iran announced the launch of its latest centrifuges.

A blackout reportedly occurred, allowing for the explosion to happen. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement, but Israeli media outlets have quoted reports the Mossad was behind it.

It’s possible it was a cyber attack, as an Israeli one hit Iran a decade ago. However, Iran’s cyber defenses are much stronger now then they were then. Physical sabotage has hit Iran in previous years after all. Regardless, Iran is positive Israel is responsible, and has vowed to exact vengeance for the incident. The two nations are also in a “shadow war”: Israel frequently targets Iranian back militia’s in neighboring countries, primarily Syria and Lebanon. Iran is also a public supporter of Palestine, another issue where they disagree with the Saudis and the Israelis. Syrian militia backed by Iran have sometimes ventured incredibly close to the Israeli occupied Syrian land known as the Golan Heights.

The Middle East and the world at large will watch closely and wait as the two Middle Eastern nations go head to head one way or another.

Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-56722181
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-56734657
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-56724039

relevant crosspost

Kowani wrote:Iran Deal thrown into limbo after Iranian nuclear negotiator claimed the country would begin enriching uranium to 60%

Iran will start increasing the purity of uranium it enriches to 60% after an attack on a key nuclear facility, one of Iran’s leading nuclear negotiators said, raising fresh concerns about the future of talks to limit Tehran’s ability to produce a nuclear weapon.

Until now, Iran has been enriching uranium up to 20% purity, but the new target would be a step closer to achieving weapons-grade levels.

Abbas Araghchi, a senior foreign ministry official, didn’t mention how long it would take Iran to reach the 60% level in his remarks in Vienna Tuesday, which were reported by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency.

Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, told the state news agency that preparations for the enhanced enrichment program will begin later Tuesday at the facility in Natanz, which Iran accused Israel of attacking over the weekend, destroying a number of centrifuges and causing an electrical blackout.

The attack occurred as U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was visiting Israel and was preparing to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

A lot of the centrifuges got wrecked, which means it's a good day for nuclear non-proliferation.

Insaanistan wrote:An Iranian Nuclear facility, Natanz, was reportedly attacked recently. Iran has deemed the attack terrorism and blames Israel for the incident.
It is unclear whether this was a cyber attack or it it was a physical act of sabotage. It occurred just hours after Iran announced the launch of its latest centrifuges.

A blackout reportedly occurred, allowing for the explosion to happen. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement, but Israeli media outlets have quoted reports the Mossad was behind it.

It’s possible it was a cyber attack, as an Israeli one hit Iran a decade ago. However, Iran’s cyber defenses are much stronger now then they were then. Physical sabotage has hit Iran in previous years after all. Regardless, Iran is positive Israel is responsible, and has vowed to exact vengeance for the incident. The two nations are also in a “shadow war”: Israel frequently targets Iranian back militia’s in neighboring countries, primarily Syria and Lebanon. Iran is also a public supporter of Palestine, another issue where they disagree with the Saudis and the Israelis. Syrian militia backed by Iran have sometimes ventured incredibly close to the Israeli occupied Syrian land known as the Golan Heights.

The Middle East and the world at large will watch closely and wait as the two Middle Eastern nations go head to head one way or another.

Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-56722181
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-56734657
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-56724039

Do you think Israel actually did it? I don't think any other country would've done it.

The New California Republic wrote:A lot of the centrifuges got wrecked, which means it's a good day for nuclear non-proliferation.

Iran has new centrifuges now, and Iran doesn't have nukes. Yet. Though Israel does have them.

Islamic Holy Sites wrote:Do you think Israel actually did it? I don't think any other country would've done it.

Why not? The US is suspected in having a hand in the Stuxnet worm that wrecked the centrifuges last time...

hah, no. It was probably some terrorist group like ISIS or Houthis. Just a hunch, but I doubt an actual government would do something like that.

Islamic Holy Sites wrote:

The New California Republic wrote:A lot of the centrifuges got wrecked, which means it's a good day for nuclear non-proliferation.

Iran has new centrifuges now, and Iran doesn't have nukes. Yet. Though Israel does have them.

Already? I doubt it. The sabotage only happened on Sunday, they won't have replaced thousands of centrifuges already.

Arisyan wrote:hah, no. It was probably some terrorist group like ISIS or Houthis. Just a hunch, but I doubt an actual government would do something like that.

I don't think ISIS has that capability, and Houthis is allied with Iran.

Israel being allowed to do what it wants, with no repercussions from anyone?

I wonder why that is.

The New California Republic wrote:

Islamic Holy Sites wrote:Iran has new centrifuges now, and Iran doesn't have nukes. Yet. Though Israel does have them.

Already? I doubt it. The sabotage only happened on Sunday, they won't have replaced thousands of centrifuges already.

In the article it said 'Hours after the announcing of new centrifuges'. Do they mean building them or they've finished them? Also, for your previous post, I don't think the Biden administration want to blow their chances at a new nuclear deal.

Islamic Holy Sites wrote:

The New California Republic wrote:Already? I doubt it. The sabotage only happened on Sunday, they won't have replaced thousands of centrifuges already.

In the article it said 'Hours after the announcing of new centrifuges'. Do they mean building them or they've finished them?

The shiny new centrifuges were installed, then got wrecked by sabotage.

The New California Republic wrote:

Islamic Holy Sites wrote:In the article it said 'Hours after the announcing of new centrifuges'. Do they mean building them or they've finished them?

The shiny new centrifuges were installed, then got wrecked by sabotage.

Oh, I thought the new centrifuges were a separate thing.

Islamic Holy Sites wrote:

The New California Republic wrote:The shiny new centrifuges were installed, then got wrecked by sabotage.

Oh, I thought the new centrifuges were a separate thing.

No, the centrifuges are the things that got sabotaged. It seems that the power system was tampered with, which likely caused a surge in the motors that turn the centrifuges and thus spun them until they tore themselves to bits. Oh to be a fly on the wall as it was happening...

The New California Republic wrote:

Islamic Holy Sites wrote:Oh, I thought the new centrifuges were a separate thing.

No, the centrifuges are the things that got sabotaged. It seems that the power system was tampered with, which likely caused a surge in the motors that turn the centrifuges and thus spun them until they tore themselves to bits. Oh to be a fly on the wall as it was happening...

Not all of them were destroyed, though: the first article says that 'some were damaged'.

Islamic Holy Sites wrote:

The New California Republic wrote:No, the centrifuges are the things that got sabotaged. It seems that the power system was tampered with, which likely caused a surge in the motors that turn the centrifuges and thus spun them until they tore themselves to bits. Oh to be a fly on the wall as it was happening...

Not all of them were destroyed, though: the first article says that 'some were damaged'.

Tbh from the sounds of it the ones that were only damaged seem to be in a tiny minority, so even if "only" 90% of the centrifuges were totally destroyed then the perpetrator will class that as a success.

The New California Republic wrote:

Islamic Holy Sites wrote:Not all of them were destroyed, though: the first article says that 'some were damaged'.

Tbh from the sounds of it the ones that were only damaged seem to be in a tiny minority, so even if "only" 90% of the centrifuges were totally destroyed then the perpetrator will class that as a success.

Hmm. We need to wait for details.

Islamic Holy Sites wrote:

The New California Republic wrote:Tbh from the sounds of it the ones that were only damaged seem to be in a tiny minority, so even if "only" 90% of the centrifuges were totally destroyed then the perpetrator will class that as a success.

Hmm. We need to wait for details.

Iran is never going to give a precise number.

Thaks for posting that. I will write a NS issue about it.

Poll now up!

Insaanistan wrote:Poll now up!

When Israel doesn't deny something they probably did it. Israel also had a good chance of doing it even if they deny it.

I think it should also be mentioned that Israel has actually establish a quasi alliance with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE. This is not the middle east of 2015

Imagine a country with such an intense hatred against Jews acquiring nuclear weapons.

Israel's government does some fishy stuff from time to time, but uh, call me crazy, I don't see them invoking the wrath of a vitriolically hateful, reckless, and anti-semitic government just for the sake of doing it. Seems like a huge stretch coming from a govt that regularly promotes conspiratorial crap.

-Ocelot- wrote:Imagine a country with such an intense hatred against Jews acquiring nuclear weapons.

I’m not saying there aren’t a lot of anti-Semitic Iranians, but Iran has one of the largest Jewish communities in the entire Middle East.
I’d argue they hate Sunni Muslims more than Jewish people.