Iranian officials discovered explosives embedded in equipment purchased for the country's nuclear program, Iran International reported Wednesday, citing claims by Vice President Mohammad Javad Zarif.
"Our colleagues had purchased a centrifuge platform for the Atomic Energy Organization, and it was discovered that explosives had been embedded inside it, which they managed to detect," Zarif said, according to Iran International.
The timeline of the alleged incident remains unclear, Iran International reported. The revelation follows a series of security incidents targeting Iran's nuclear facilities, including a power failure at the Natanz uranium enrichment site in April 2021.
According to Iran International, Zarif detailed how international sanctions have forced Iran and its allies to rely on intermediaries for equipment purchases, creating security vulnerabilities. "Instead of being able to order equipment directly from the manufacturer, sanctions force you to rely on multiple intermediaries for such purchases," Zarif said, according to the report.
"If the Zionist regime infiltrates even one of the intermediaries, they can do anything and embed anything they want, which is exactly what happened," Zarif said, Iran International reported.
The Iranian official linked these vulnerabilities to a series of explosions in Hezbollah's communication devices in September 2024, the report said. According to Iran International, these incidents resulted in 32 deaths and more than 3,000 injuries when approximately 5,000 pagers and 1,000 walkie-talkies detonated.
In response to these incidents, Iran International reported that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps suspended the use of communication devices and initiated inspections. The Iranian Civil Aviation Organization implemented a ban on electronic communication devices, including mobile phones, on commercial flights.
"These are, in fact, some of the damages caused by sanctions, which have made circumventing them a necessity for us," Zarif said, according to Iran International. "In addition to financial losses, there have also been significant security risks."
