Iran claims to have foiled a sabotage attack on tanks used to transport “heavy water” – a key component in nuclear reactors.
Asghar Zarian, deputy head of the nuclear division of the Iranian government was quoted Thursday by the independent Arman daily newspaper saying that discovery of the sabotage attempt took place “in recent weeks.”
Although he did not reveal specific details about the site of the attack, nor when it occurred, Zarian said the incident highlighted the issue of safety at nuclear power plants in the country.
The head of the nation’s Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi said the industrial sabotage attempt underscored the need to preserve equipment and technologies in all areas of nuclear fuel production plants.
Salehi added that as in the past with the Stuxnet virus attack, the sabotage attempt led to a good lesson for the country. Iran’s nuclear industry would deal with this phenomenon and raise safety standards at its nuclear power plants, as it did in the wake of the past attack as well, he said.