Natanz Nuclear Attack Strengthens Iran’s Position in Vienna
The attack on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility casts a shadow over the talks between the United States of America and The Islamic Republic of Iran and the return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear accord. Iran has blamed The Israeli Occupying Regime for the attack on its underground nuclear facility that damaged its centrifuges.
Natanz Nuclear Attack Strengthens Iran’s Position in Vienna
By
Dr. Hossein Omidi, PhD.
April 22, 2021
The attack on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility casts a shadow over the talks between the United States of America and The Islamic Republic of Iran and the return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear accord. Iran has blamed The Israeli Occupying Regime for the attack on its underground nuclear facility that damaged its centrifuges. The Israeli attack is designed to further strain and even sabotage the negotiations between the U.S. and Iran in Vienna to re-enter the accord. Netanyahu’s goal has always been to eliminate Iran’s nuclear capabilities as it fears the Islamic Republic. To this end, Israel has now opened two doors of contention with Iran and the U.S. First, Iran now can freely move forward with reconstruction of the centrifuges with more advanced technology and, second, take revenge for this action against Zionist Israel.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has not praised nor condemned the attack. The White House simple stated that the U.S. was not involved and would not speculate on the causes. Washington knows all too well that its Zionist ally, Israel, indeed is behind the attack. Notwithstanding, the U.S. will now use this as a platform to limit the lifting of sanctions due to Iran’s uranium enrichment capabilities as revealed by the attack. The sanctions now are labeled as “consistent” or “inconsistent” by definition. The deal had lifted (removed?/suspended?) nuclear sanctions in Iran in exchange for Iran’s willingness to curb its atomic program, even though those restrictions are time-limited and were due to expire before 2030. The U.S. is prepared to lift or ease only the sanctions that are labeled “inconsistent” with the “benefits” Iran expected to gain from the accord. Trump’s abandonment of the accord and the reinstatement of harsh sanctions backfired. Since the U.S. departure of the accord, The Islamic Republic of Iran has been able to achieve 60% enriched uranium according to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI).
According to Dr. Ali Akbar Salehi, Head of the AEOI, Iran achieved 60% enrichment and that the incident did not stop it since only one enrichment hall was affected. He stated that the attack was aimed at hindering Iran’s nuclear advancement and successful JCPOA negotiations to lift/remove sanctions. Iran can call upon the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to address this coward terrorist attack on its facility. The failed sabotage attempt also is proof that those at fault failed in their efforts against the Islamic Republic’s industrial and political progress. Salehi pointed out that Iran reserves the right to act against the perpetrators and will continue its expansion of its nuclear progress while trying to lift the cruel sanctions against its people.
Dr. Hassan Rouhani, The Iranian President, noted that while Iran’s 60% enrichment is within acceptable measures, some in the U.S. and Europe claim that Iran wants to reach 90% enrichment to produce a nuclear bomb. That simply is not true according to Rouhani. He stated that whether the “enemy comes to his senses” and “respects the law” is irrelevant as the U.S. and the other countries in the JCPOA will have to come into full compliance with the UN Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA and only then will Iran return to all its obligations of the accord. The removal of all sanctions remains a critical negotiating factor in Vienna.
While The Occupying Zionist Regime of Israel does not claim responsibility for the attack, its media reported of a devastating cyber-attack at a nuclear facility by its secret military units or its Mossad intelligence agency. It is not the first time Israel has attempted to sabotage Iran’s nuclear development capabilities. Actually, The Islamic Republic of Iran’s peaceful/civilian nuclear programme has been targeted in "sabotage attacks over the last decade". However, this act of terrorism only marked the latest attack targeting the Iranian programme. Natanz was targeted in the past with the Stuxnet computer virus believed to be a joint U.S.-Israeli creation. In 2010, it disrupted and destroyed Iran’s centrifuges then. The United States of America and its devilish allay, the Occupying Zionist Regime, were accused by experts widely as well as Iran. Last July, there was a mysterious explosion at Natanz’s centrifuge assemble plant which authorities described as a sabotage attempt. Later, The Islamic Republic of Iran started rebuilding it deep inside a nearby mountain.
It is worth mentioning that a series of assassinations, including bombing and shootings, targeting Iranian nuclear scientists over the last decade have been there too. The most recent killing saw the assassination of high-ranking Iranian nuclear physicist Martyr Dr. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. As usual, the Zionist Regime was accused for those manslaughters. The Occupying Regime of Israel has launched strikes in Syria targeting Iranian forces and equipment. It is also suspected to be behind the attack on an Iranian cargo ship off the coast of Yemen. What prompts the Zionists to do this? The IRNA news agency quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif saying, “The Zionists wanted to take revenge against the Iranian people for their success on the path of lifting sanctions,” “But we do not allow (it), and we will take revenge for this action against the Zionists.” Clearly, it is fear of the Islamic Republic’s ability to confront Israel and destroy its terrorist plots. All previous U.S. presidents have all succumbed to the Zionist claim/lie that it is defending itself against an “aggressive” enemy. Let us see if the Biden administration responds differently as talks continue.
Meanwhile, Iran has delivered a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency at the United Nations urging it to condemn the attack. This is the body that monitors Tehran’s atomic program, and it should recognize that Iran has always conformed to international standards. That cannot be said for the Zionist entity. Unlike Iran, Israel is not a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and never signed this treaty. Although, Israeli officials have never confirmed nor denied the existence of its country’s nuclear weapons, experts estimate that it has 80-90 nuclear warheads and enough fissile material for at least 200 warheads. Little is known about Israel’s fissile materials production or stockpiles. The Israeli Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC) is responsible for its country’s nuclear activities. Israel has been secretive about its nuclear arsenal. Yet it pretends to criticize Iran’s legal civilian nuclear program and the JCPOA. It has continued to make threats to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities and has taken military action against Iran in Iraq and Syria. An overview of Israel’s nuclear arsenal reveals its true nature.
Of importance is Israel’s record of abstaining to vote on the annual UN General Assembly resolution that would establish international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapons states that the use of nuclear weapons would not be used against them. Israel has signed, but not ratified, the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). It maintains advanced scientific-technical chemical weapons research and development infrastructure. In 1993, Russian intelligence claimed that “Israel has a store of chemical weapons of its own manufacture…[and] is capable of producing toxic substances of all types, including nerve-paralyzing, blister-producing and temporarily incapacitating substances…” According to a 2008 report by the Center for Strategic & International Studies, The Israeli Occupying Regime may have stockpiles of weaponized nerve gas. As to the Middle East Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone (WMDFZ) established in 1995, Israel’s secretive stance on its nuclear capabilities and its refusal to sign the NPT was cited as an obstacle to achieving the Laajava’s mandate in 2015. Then the JCPOA surfaced.
Israel fiercely opposed to the July 2015 JCPOA even though it limited and rolled back Iran’s nuclear program. Netanyahu claimed that Israel would not be bound by this deal with Iran because Iran continues to seek its destruction. In response to Donald Trump’s May 8, 2018 decision to withdraw from the JCPOA, Israel fully supported the move as a bold decision to reject the disastrous nuclear deal with the “regime” in Tehran. But now the U.S. is faced with restoring the nuclear deal with Iran as it benefits its nonproliferation priorities. For the first time in history, the U.S. priorities conflict with the Zionist’s priorities. Iran rightfully continues to breach the key limits of the JCPOA increasing its uranium enrichment program. The Islamic Republic of Iran is no longer bound by the JCPOA terms and will negotiate strongly before reentering the agreement. The U.S. must first agree to lift/remove all its illegal sanctions against Iran and its people.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is not a nuclear state and has adhered to the terms of the JCPOA since its adoption in October 2015. This has been unequivocally verified by the IAEA quarterly reports for over a decade. Iran was also one of the first states to formally call for a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East in 1974. Iran’s President has stated. “As we have said many times. There is no place for Weapons of Mass Destruction, including nuclear weapons, in the country’s defense program, and this the firm opinion of the Islamic Republic.” “But at the same time, we will pursue peaceful nuclear technologies, which is our right.” He added, “We are a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). We have a contract with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a safeguard, and we implement the NPT. We do not want to have secret nuclear activities, and this is a decisive decision of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister wrote, “In utter hypocrisy, Boris Johnson is ‘concerned about Iran developing a viable nuclear weapon’. On the very same day, he announced his country will increase its stockpile of nukes.” The Foreign Minister also said there would be no talks between Iran, the U.S. until all sanctions imposed on Iran are removed. He stressed that the cooperation between Iran and the IAEA will continue uninterrupted in various fields.
The Supreme Leader of The Islamic Revolution, Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, in many occasions, said that any U.S. claim to having removed Iran’s sanctions must be first verified by Tehran’s ability to sell its oil under normal conditions and receive its money. He added that the policy of maximum pressure of the former U.S. administration failed and stressed that if the current U.S. administration pursued maximum pressure, it will fail again. What is the solution to this cycle of the use of inhumane weapons that have been rightfully prohibited? Imam Khamenei emphasized that "the side which has the right to set conditions for the continuation of the JCPOA is Iran". For, "Iran honored all its JCPOA commitments from the beginning. However, "they violated theirs. Therefore, we have the right to set terms for the continuation of the JCPOA. Recently, we set a condition and no one will go back on it: if they want Iran to return to its JCPOA commitments, the US has to lift all sanctions". This must be done in action than in words and on paper. "After that, we will verify and see if they have really been lifted. Then, we will return to our JCPOA commitments". Regarding Iran's policy on JCPOA, in his most recent speech delivered on April 14, 2021, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that he has announced Iran's policy in words and writing and pointed it out to officials. He added that they should negotiate, but it must not be "too lengthy and tiresome, not to allow the other sides to prolong the negotiations too much".
The only absolute guarantee is their total elimination and legitimate system of assurance that will never be developed again. For this to happen Iran argues that the ‘politicization and abuse’ of non-proliferation and disarmament regimes must end. The Iranian ambassador to the UN condemned the UN Security Council for its continued silence when the Western countries continue to abuse the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to advance their illegitimate interests in Syria and Iraq. The Security Council remained silent when chemical weapons provided by the West were used by Saddam in his aggression against Iran, killing thousands of Iraqi and Iranian citizens. The Council also remained silent as Syria continues under extreme pressure as certain powers abuse the CWC and the OPCW to advance interests. Iran also was placed under unprecedented UN sanctions until 2016 due to the crisis manufactured by certain Western powers under the so-called proliferation concerns of its peaceful nuclear program. All this as the Israeli child killer regime has developed all types of WMDs and has refused to join the international treaties banning these same deadly weapons. Yet it is not held accountable by the Security Council as Israel is shielded by the U.S. The authority of non-proliferation regimes and the credibility of those organizations cannot be preserved or upheld in isolation while disregarding these truths. The only absolute guarantee is the strict application of non-proliferation norms for all governments, under all circumstances and without exploitation of the norms or the politicization of or discrimination in the application of the norms. This demands the impartiality and professionalism of all relevant multilateral operations and mechanisms.
As a major victim in the history of the systematic use of chemical weapons, The Islamic Republic of Iran condemns the use of these weapons by anyone and in all circumstances. Iran also rejects all efforts undermining the CWC’s authority and the OPCW’s credibility and calls for the non-discriminatory implementation of the CWC and the upholding of the authority of the OPCW.
At the center of this debate is the need for these agencies to scrutinize Israel’s illegal nukes and halt its aggression in the Middle East. As the central enemy of peace, human rights and the region, Israel must be held accountable for all its terrorist attacks against all sovereign nations and peoples. It must hold the Zionists accountable for the 1981 bombing and destruction of the Iraqi nuclear reactor and the 2007 airstrike on a Syrian reactor. Israel continues to make public threats to attack facilities in Iran as it did in Natanz. Israel is not party to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT). The dismantling of Israel’s illegal nuclear arsenal is key to the survival of not only the Middle East but of the world of humankind.
