Jerusalem. December 2. INTERFAX - Israeli intelligence "Mossad" was behind the organization of sabotage at the nuclear facility in Natanz in April, involving a group of recruited Iranian scientists in the operation, the Jewish Chronicle (JC) newspaper published in London reported on Thursday.
According to the newspaper, up to 10 Iranian scientists were recruited after agreeing to blow up a room with centrifuges at the Natanz facility. However, the Iranians believed that they were not working for Israel, but for Iranian opposition groups.
Some of the explosives were delivered secretly on a drone, which dropped its cargo on the territory of the complex, and the other part was transported to the facility in boxes with food. JC claims that the subsequent explosion destroyed 90 centrifuges, suspended the operation of a key Iranian nuclear facility for nine months and made it difficult for Iran to build an atomic bomb.
At the same time, JC notes, this sabotage became part of a larger Mossad campaign of three operations that took place over 11 months. The first two operations - in July 2020 and in April 2021 - were directed against the facility in Natanz, and the third in June 2021 - against the facility in Karaj.
So, in June 2020, explosives detonated in the centrifuge hall at the Natanz facility: it was laid in the materials used during construction in 2019.
In June 2021, missiles were fired from a drone at a facility in Karaj. Prior to that, agents working for Israel transported a motorcycle-sized drone in parts to Iran and assembled it there.
JC clarifies that all three operations were planned for 18 months with the participation of 1 thousand technicians, analysts and field agents. The United States did not participate in these operations.
In April, the Iranian authorities announced that they had identified the person who carried out the sabotage at the nuclear facility in Natanz: he turned out to be 43-year-old Iranian Reza Karimi. He fled the country and is on the international wanted list.