Iranian Vice President: Israel mined uranium enrichment equipment purchased by Tehran

Israel tried to disrupt Tehran’s nuclear program by planting explosives in equipment purchased by Iran. The website of the Iran International TV channel indicates that this statement was made by Iranian Vice President Mohammad Zarif in an online interview with the Khozur program.

According to a former Iranian diplomat and ex-foreign minister, sanctions against Iran and its allies have created additional risks for the security of his country and made Israeli sabotage possible. Because of sanctions, Iran and its allies are forced to rely on intermediaries when purchasing equipment.

“Our colleagues purchased a centrifuge platform for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. And later it turned out that there was an explosive charge inside the equipment, which we were able to detect,” Zarif said, without providing any other details of the incident.

By “colleagues,” Zarif most likely means intermediaries through whom Tehran is forced to purchase equipment. “Instead of ordering equipment directly from the manufacturer, sanctions force us to use the services of many intermediaries. They can make any changes to the equipment, which is what happened,” he said.

The ex-diplomat referred to the September 2024 Hezbollah pager bombings, which he said were the result of “Israeli infiltration of the supply chain.” “The pager problem in Lebanon was the result of a decades-long process built by the Zionists,” Zarif concluded.