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2021 Natanz incident

Coordinates: 33°30′26″N 51°54′49″E / 33.50722°N 51.91361°E / 33.50722; 51.91361
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The 2021 Natanz incident (Persian: حادثه ۱۴۰۰ نطنز; Hādese-ye 1400 Natanz) was an attack on the Natanz Nuclear Facility in Iran on 11 April 2021, widely attributed to the Israeli Mossad. Located in the Isfahan province of Central Iran, the facility was Iran's longtime main enrichment site. The incident involved a remotely detonated explosive device that destroyed the facility's independent power supply and caused a large-scale blackout, damaging thousands of centrifuges.

The attack occurred during a period of renewed diplomacy in Vienna aimed at reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which the United States had unilaterally withdrawn from in 2018. While intended to delay Iran's nuclear progress, the incident led Iran to restrict the access of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors, and to significantly escalate its enrichment levels. These nuclear advances eventually contributed to the collapse of regional diplomacy and subsequent United States and Israeli attacks of 2025 and 2026.

Background

Iran suspended its AMAD Project pursuant to Ali Khamenei's fatwa against nuclear weapons in 2003. Khamenei banned nuclear weapons of any kind.[1][2] Iran said it was not seeking nuclear weapons, and that its enrichment efforts were to generate nuclear power for civilian use.[3] UN Security Council (UNSC) concerns about Iran's nuclear program from 2006[a] led to the JCPOA nuclear deal between Iran and the US in 2015.[7] Despite Iran's compliance with the JCPOA,[8] Trump withdrew the US from the deal in 2018,[9] re-imposed sanctions, and adopted a "maximum pressure" strategy.[10] The Biden administration kept these sanctions in place, further damaging Iran's economy.[11] Following the 2018 US withdrawal from the agreement, analysts in the UK and US have increasingly characterized Iran’s strategy as nuclear hedging, developing the technical infrastructure to assemble a weapon on short notice while stopping short of actual production.[12]

In 2010, Operation Olympic Games, an unacknowledged US and Israeli campaign of cyber disruption directed at Iranian nuclear facilities,[13] used a sophisticated computer virus called Stuxnet to disrupt Iran's uranium enrichment at the Natanz nuclear facility.[14] Over several years, Olympic Games altered the computer code of Iran’s industrial equipment, destroying around 1000 centrifuges and setting back Iran's nuclear program a year or more.[15]

In June 2020, a fire damaged centrifuges at the Natanz facility. Sources in the Middle East and the West, quoted by The New York Times, attributed the fire not to a cyberattack, but a bomb planted in the facility by Israel.[16][17] Amid ongoing sanctions, and in response to the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the Iranian parliament passed a law in December 2020 mandating the Iranian administration to enrich uranium to 20% purity, breaking the 3.67% limit under the JCPOA.[18] Iran repeatedly said those measures would be reversed as soon as the United States provided sanctions relief, including those the United States had been obligated to reverse under the JCPOA.[19]

In April 2021, just days before the incident, the European Union convened indirect talks between Iran and the United States in Vienna, with the goal of readmitting the United States into the nuclear deal and ensuring Iran's cooperation. Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia also participated, with the latter two blaming the United States' withdrawal from the JCPOA and failure to lift sanctions as the root cause of the diplomatic impasse.[20] Israel strongly opposed the talks.[21]

Incident

On 9 April 2021, in a ceremony at the Natanz Nuclear Facility broadcast by state television as part of Iran's National Nuclear Technology Day, Iranian president Hassan Rouhani inaugurated a cascade 164 IR-6 centrifuges for producing enriched uranium, as well as two test cascades, 30 each of IR-5 and IR-6S models.[22] On 11 April 2021, a remotely detonated bomb caused a massive explosion at the facility, damaging the electrical distribution grid, destroying the independently protected power supply to the centrifuges, and resulting in a blackout. Much of the aboveground facility was destroyed, with the blast ripping doors from their hinges and collapsing parts of the roof. Other parts of the facility were blackened by the subsequent fire.[15][23][24] There were no reported casualties.[24]

Aftermath

There were contradictory reports of the cause of incident, including a cyberattack, industrial accident, or explosive sabotage.[25] US and Israeli intelligence officials initially attributed it to an Israeli cyberattack, with Israeli media outlets saying the operation was carried out by Mossad,[26][27] but later Iranian and Western reports concluded it was an explosive device planted at the site.[28][29] By 17 April, Iran ruled out a cyberattack as the cause, identifying a 43-year-old man named Reza Karimi as the suspected saboteur.[30] According to Iran, 300 pounds of explosives were smuggled into the facility in equipment that had been sent abroad for repair.[31] Israel refused to publicly confirm responsibility, and Iran blamed Israel for the attack.[24][26]

Damage

Behrouz Kamalvandi, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran spokesman, said that the incident caused no casualties nor pollution.[24] Alireza Zakani, head of the Iranian parliament's Research Centre, said that the incident eliminated Iran's ability to enrich, and suggested it damaged several thousand centrifuges.[32]

Reconstruction

On November 17, 2021, the IAEA released their quarterly safeguards report regarding verification and monitoring in the Islamic Republic of Iran, in light of United Nations Security Council resolution 2231 (2015). The report concluded that the number of enriching IR-1 cascades and IR-2m cascades at Natanz appeared to have almost fully recovered from the April sabatoge. Iran installed 31 cascades of IR-1 centrifuges, six cascades of IR-2m centrifuges, and two cascades of IR-4 centrifuges at the site. Of those, as of November 13, 28 IR-1 cascades, six IR-2m cascades, and two IR-4 cascades were being fed with uranium.[33]

Reactions

Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said that the incident was an act of sabotage and "nuclear terrorism", and said it showed that opponents of Iran's industrial and political progress failed to prevent significant development of its nuclear industry.[34] President Rouhani said that Iran would replace the old centrifuges with more advanced ones, and vowed to again increase enrichment levels.[35]

Mohammad Javad Zarif, the foreign minister of Iran, in a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, described the Natanz attack as a war crime due to the high risk of potential release of radioactive material, stating that "any power with knowledge of, or acquiescence in, this act must also be held accountable as an accomplice to this war crime."[34] Attacking nuclear facilities can be a war crime under international law.[36] Standing by Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in a joint press conference, Zarif further condemned Israel for two attacks on Natanz in one year.[37]

Of the ongoing diplomatic efforts in Vienna, European Union officials said it endangered efforts to bring the United States and Iran back into compliance with the JCPOA, and warned against efforts to undermine the talks, which ultimately stalled.[38][39] In reaction to the incident, Iran restricted UN nuclear inspectors' access to Natanz, citing security concerns,[40] and, true to Rouhani's word, increased the levels of its uranium enrichment from 20% to 60% purity.[32]

See also

References

  1. ^ The problems indicated by the UNSC during 2006 in their first resolution were specifically "uranium enrichment[4] and reprocessing"[5] in the second resolution of that year; additionally use or attempted use of "heavy water".[6]
  1. ^ Khalaji, Mehdi; Collier, Robert (September 2011). "2. Shiite Jurisprudence, Political Expediency, and Nuclear Weapons" (PDF). Nuclear Fatwa; Religion and Politics in Iran's Proliferation Strategy. Washington Institute for Near East Policy. pp. 13–14, 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 June 2019. Khamenei's Nuclear Fatwa Khamenei's statements on the religious prohibition against the production and use of WMD "in any form" were apparently first recorded in October 2003
  2. ^ Gritten, David (18 June 2025). "Was Iran months away from producing a nuclear bomb?". BBC News. Retrieved 2 March 2026. the US intelligence community "continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader [Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei has not authorised the nuclear weapons programme that he suspended in 2003". – What do we know about Iran's nuclear programme? a decade-long investigation by the IAEA found evidence that Iran conducted "a range of activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device" from the late 1980s until 2003
  3. ^ "Iran reaffirms right to enrich uranium ahead of key talks in Turkiye". Al Jazeera English. 24 July 2025. Retrieved 5 March 2026. Western powers, led by the US and backed by Israel, have long accused Tehran of secretly seeking nuclear weapons. Iran has repeatedly denied this, insisting its nuclear programme is solely for civilian purposes such as energy production.
  4. ^ UN Security Council (31 July 2006). "S/RES/1696 (2006)". United Nations. Expresses concern at the intentions of Iran's nuclear programme and demands that Iran halt its uranium enrichment programme
  5. ^ UN Security Council. "Resolution 1696 (2006)". United Nations. p. 2. 2. Demands, in this context, that Iran shall suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development, to be verified by the IAEA
  6. ^ UN Security Council. "Resolution 1737 (2006)". United Nations. p. 2. 2. Decides, in this context, that Iran shall without further delay suspend the following proliferation sensitive nuclear activities: (a) all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development, to be verified by the IAEA; and (b) work on all heavy water-related projects, including the construction of a research reactor moderated by heavy water, also to be verified by the IAEA;
  7. ^ UN Security Council. "Resolution 2231 (2015) on Iran Nuclear Issue". United Nations. resolutions 1696 (2006), 1737 (2006), 1747 (2007), 1803 (2008), 1835 (2008) and 1929 (2010) – Background Diplomatic efforts to reach a comprehensive, long-term and proper solution to the Iranian nuclear issue culminated in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) concluded on 14 July 2015
  8. ^ "IAEA Report Confirms Iran's Compliance with the JCPOA". armscontrol.org. Arms Control Association. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
  9. ^ "Iran nuclear deal: Trump pulls US out in break with Europe allies". BBC News. 9 May 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  10. ^ "Trump tightens the screws on Iran's oil". Brookings Institution. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  11. ^ Shamim, Sarah (13 January 2026). "How US sanctions crippled lives of Iranians Trump says he wants to 'help'". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
  12. ^
  13. ^ Sanger, David E. (2025-06-13). "Israel's Ambition: Destroy the Heart of Iran's Nuclear Program". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-06-14. Over nearly 20 years, Israel and the United States have targeted the thousands of centrifuges that spin inside the Natanz facility, in hopes of choking off the key ingredient Iranian scientists needed to build a nuclear arsenal. Together the two countries developed the Stuxnet worm, the cyberweapon intended to make the centrifuges spin out of control. That operation, code named Olympic Games, was born in George W. Bush's administration and flourished in Barack Obama's until the operation was exposed.
  14. ^ Sen, Ashish Kumar. "Iran's Growing Cyber Capabilities in a Post-Stuxnet Era". atlanticcouncil.org. Atlantic Council. Retrieved 16 April 2026.
  15. ^ a b Sanger, David E.; Broad, William; Bergman, Ronen; Fassihi, Farnaz. "Mysterious Explosion and Fire Damage Iranian Nuclear Enrichment Facility". nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved 16 April 2026.
  16. ^ Fassihi, Farnaz; Pérez-Peña, Richard; Bergman, Ronen (5 July 2020). "Iran Admits Serious Damage to Natanz Nuclear Site, Setting Back Program". nytimes.com. The New York Times.
  17. ^ Harel, Amos. "Experts: Natanz Explosion Set Back Iran's Nuclear Program by More Than a Year". haaretz.com. Haaretz. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  18. ^ "Iranian Parliament Bill on Nuclear Program: Full Text in English". niacouncil.org. National Iranian American Council. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  19. ^ Wintour, Patrick. "Iran nuclear talks to continue next week after breakthrough". theguardian.com. The Guardian. Retrieved 16 April 2026.
  20. ^ "New Talks: World Statements". iranprimer.usip.org. United States Institute of Peace. Retrieved 16 April 2026.
  21. ^ Wintour, Patrick (12 April 2021). "Natanz nuclear plant attack 'will set back Iran's programme by nine months'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2021-06-14. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  22. ^ Coulter, Michael (11 April 2021). "Accident' at Iran's Natanz nuclear plant as new uranium enrichment starts". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2021-06-13. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  23. ^ "Iran says key Natanz nuclear facility hit by 'sabotage'". BBC News. 12 April 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-05-31. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  24. ^ a b c d Motamedi, Maziar. "Iran calls blackout at Natanz atomic site 'nuclear terrorism'". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 2021-07-06. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  25. ^ DeYoung, Karen; Rubin, Shira; Fahim, Kareem. "U.S. prepares for further talks with Iran as Tehran blames Israel for attack on nuclear facility". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2021-04-12. Retrieved 2021-07-20.
  26. ^ a b Rasmussen and Schwartz, Sune Engel and Felicia (13 April 2021). "Attack in Iran Stirs Fears for Future of Nuclear Talks". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2021-07-06. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  27. ^ Bergman, Ronen; Gladstone, Rick; Fassihi, Farnaz (11 April 2021). "Blackout Hits Iran Nuclear Site in What Appears to Be Israeli Sabotage". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2021-07-14. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  28. ^ "Iran identifies suspect behind blast at Natanz nuclear site". reuters. 17 April 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-05-18. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  29. ^ Joffre, Tzvi. "Israeli explosion sets back Natanz enrichment facility by 9 months - NYT". jpost.com. The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 16 April 2026.
  30. ^ Karimi, Nasser. "Iran names suspect in Natanz attack, says he fled country". apnews.com. Associated Press. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  31. ^ "Timeline: Israeli Attacks on Iran". iranprimer.usip.org. United States Institute of Peace.
  32. ^ a b "Iran Natanz nuclear site suffered major damage, official says". BBC News. 13 April 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-04-27. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  33. ^ "Analysis of IAEA Iran Verification and Monitoring Report - November 2021 | Institute for Science and International Security". Archived from the original on 2021-12-03. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  34. ^ a b Hafezi, Parisa (12 April 2021). "Iran blames Israel for Natanz nuclear plant outage, vows revenge". .reuters. Archived from the original on 2021-05-13. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  35. ^ "Iran to enrich uranium to 60% after 'wicked' nuclear site attack". BBC News. 14 April 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-07-16. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  36. ^ "Rule 42 – Works and Installations Containing Dangerous Forces". ICRC IHL Databases. International Committee of the Red Cross. Retrieved 16 April 2026. Particular care must be taken if works and installations containing dangerous forces, namely dams, dykes and nuclear electrical generating stations... are attacked, in order to avoid the release of dangerous forces and consequent severe losses among the civilian population.
  37. ^ Wintour, Patrick (13 April 2021). "Iran to boost uranium enrichment levels in wake of Israeli attack". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2021-06-22. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  38. ^ Notte, Hanna. "Don't Expect Any More Russian Help on the Iran Nuclear Deal". warontherocks.com. War on the Rocks. Retrieved 16 April 2026.
  39. ^ AGENCIES and TOI STAFF. "After Natanz incident, EU warns against attempts to 'undermine' nuclear talks". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 2021-07-16. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  40. ^ Irish, John; Murphy, Francois (July 2021). "EXCLUSIVE Iran restricts IAEA access to main enrichment plant after attack -diplomats". reuters. Archived from the original on 2021-07-02. Retrieved 2021-07-16. 


33°30′26″N 51°54′49″E / 33.50722°N 51.91361°E / 33.50722; 51.91361
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