MajboorLog

The recent sabotage of the Iranian nuclear program has been spectacular—and strategically incoherent. Israel’s clandestine activities inside Iran have undoubtedly delayed the production of material Iran needs to make a bomb—and done so in spectacular fashion. Spies deployed months in advance to plant explosives inside an Iranian nuclear plant, a lethal cyber attack to corrupt computers that control centrifuges spinning uranium, and bullets showered on a leading nuclear scientist by remotely activating a machine gun—each of these incidents could be an episode in a gripping spy thriller. Whether they were a success, however, is another question. These covert attacks, together with the debilitating sanctions imposed in recent years by Washington, have imposed setbacks on Iran but have not managed to convince the country to abandon its nuclear ambitions altogether. Instead, they have failed to change Iran’s approach to nuclear negotiations; if anything, they have strengthened its resolve to continue enriching uranium and thus achieve a “breakout” capacity for nuclear weapons. However impressive Israel’s attacks, they do not seem to be a sustainable strategy. On April 11, an explosion caused a power blackout at the Natanz uranium enrichment site, one of Iran’s known nuclear facilities. Nuclear activities there were halted anywhere from a few weeks, said Iranian officials, to nine months, according to Israeli and U.S. intelligence officers quoted in news reports. This was the third attack, and the second in a year, at the Natanz nuclear station. Last July, a bomb exploded in a part of the premises that was producing a new set of centrifuges and delayed the program by months. Experts said both attacks could have only been carried out with physical infiltration. Neither Iran nor the United States walked out of the meetings being held in Vienna. Instead, Iran used the recent attack to up uranium enrichment from 20 percent to 60 percent, further shortening the breakout time needed to build a bomb.

Tehran, Iran – Israel should expect more attacks on its interests in the future, the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces warned, days after a rocket launched from Syria landed near an Israeli nuclear reactor. Mohammad Bagheri said on Sunday Israel believes it can hit targets on Syrian soil and launch attacks at sea without repercussions. “Certainly efforts undertaken in recent days and efforts in the future that will endanger their interests will bring them to their senses, and the future of the resistance front is bright,” he told reporters. Bagheri said he had no comment on who was behind recent attacks, but added he was confident “the resistance front will give the Zionists a fundamental response”. Iran’s army on Sunday showcased seven new military “achievements” that it said included several types of land-based and drone-mounted enemy radar identifiers and disruptors. The commander’s comments come amid months of increased tensions between Iran and Israel, which has openly opposed talks in Vienna to restore Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers that would see harsh United States sanctions lifted. The two foes have engaged in tit-for-tat moves across the region on land and sea that intensified after a sabotage at Iran’s main nuclear facilities in Natanz earlier this month which led to a blackout and damaged a number of centrifuges. Iran blamed Israel and vowed “revenge”.Asked how Iran will respond if Israel continues to attack its interests, Bagheri on Sunday did not comment on the nature of the Iranian response, but said “the Zionist regime will not rest easy”. An oil tanker was targeted by a suspected drone attack late Saturday close to a refinery in Syria. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, which has ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, denied reports the ship was Iranian. Iranian media widely covered a missile that was launched earlier this week from Syria and targeted an area near Dimona, where an Israeli nuclear reactor is located, triggering air raid sirens. Israel launched attacks on Syrian soil in response.

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An Iranian tanker was reportedly attacked off the Syrian coast on Saturday, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. It was unclear what had happened, as Iran media was slow to report details. However, the Syrian state media did quote an oil ministry member as saying a fire took place on “what was believed to be an attack by a drone.” Reports from Lebanon, cited by Israeli media, have indicated that the attack was carried out by an "Israeli aircraft," though the reports are unconfirmed at this point. In March, a Wall Street Journal story said that Israel had struck “dozens” of Iranian vessel bound for Syria. Iran said it had a right to retaliate on March 15.In early April, an Iranian ship believed to serve as an IRGC mother ship and used for surveillance, was struck in the Red Sea. Iran blamed Israel and the US for the attack on the Saviz ship. Several Israeli-owned ships have also been attacked, allegedly by Iran. One was reported struck on April 13 and others were hit on February 26 and also March 25. The attacks targeted the Helios Ray and Hyperian Ray. Iran also vowed revenge for what it said was “nuclear terror” on its Natanz enrichment facility on April 12. Iran has been angered by the ship attacks.