Israel played ‘very bad gamble’ by sabotaging Natanz nuclear facility: Iran’s Zarif

Iran’s top diplomat said on Tuesday that the attack on the Natanz nuclear facility by Israel was a “very bad gamble” which will strengthen Tehran’s hand in talks with major powers to revive the 2015 nuclear deal that Washington abandoned three years ago.

“I assure you that in near future more advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges will be placed in the Natanz facility,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a joint news conference with his Russian counterpart in Tehran.

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Iran has accused arch-foe Israel of sabotaging its key Natanz nuclear site on Sunday and has vowed revenge for the attack.

“The Israelis thought the attack will weaken our hand in the Vienna talks but in contrary it will strengthen our position,” Zarif said.

“On the contrary, it will strengthen our position.”

Iran and the global powers held what they described as constructive talks last week to salvage the 2015 nuclear accord, which Israel fiercely opposed, after the United States under former president Donald Trump abandoned it three years ago.

European External Action Service (EEAS) Deputy Secretary General Enrique Mora and Iranian Deputy at Ministry of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi wait for the start of a meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission in Vienna, Austria April 6, 2021. (Reuters)

US President Joe Biden is committed to rejoining the deal if Iran returns to full compliance with restrictions on nuclear fuel production.

The White House said on Monday the United States was not involved in Sunday’s attack and had no comment on speculation about the cause of the incident.

Iranian authorities say uranium enrichment has not stopped at the site, which Tehran has said was hit by an explosion.

“I assure you that in near future more advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges will be placed in the Natanz facility,” Zarif told Tuesday’s news conference.

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