Iran's Atomic Energy Organization criticizes a website "affiliated with the IRGC"

On Wednesday, May 5, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran strongly criticized the "Mashreq News" website, which is said to be affiliated with the IRGC's intelligence.

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran says that the Mashreq News website, in an article that echoes the voice of Israel and "the enemies of Islamic Iran, is consciously and unconsciously pouring grist into the enemy's mill and rubbing salt on the wound caused by the enemies."

In an article published on April 17 titled "The Atomic Energy Organization's Faulty 'Operating System' and Devastating Egregious Mistakes," Mashreq News criticized the management of Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization, and addressed the issue of recent explosions at Iran's enrichment facility in Natanz.

Mashreq News cited statements by Alireza Zakani, head of the Parliament's Energy Commission, who said that the explosion on July 12 last year in Natanz was the result of "explosives placed in a heavy table and brought to the Natanz site."

This media outlet affiliated with the IRGC intelligence agency further wrote that if Alireza Zakani's statements are true, "this level of incompetence and indiscretion truly crosses the boundaries of 'guilt' and strongly raises the suspicion of 'guilt'."

In response to this, the Atomic Energy Organization has said that it is a "scientific, technical, and research organization" and that "the duty of preserving and protecting it is the responsibility of the country's security institutions, including the Ministry of Intelligence, the police force, and other security institutions."

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran also says that all "real and legal persons, private companies, and contractors who intend to cooperate in the form of employment or carry out projects with the organization are examined by the relevant intelligence agencies for a period of time before starting their activities and cooperate with the organization after obtaining permission from the relevant channels."

Following recent sabotage and attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, fundamentalists have strongly criticized the actions of Hassan Rouhani's government regarding Iran's nuclear program.

These criticisms have intensified as a possible agreement on the revival of the nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) approaches in the nuclear talks in Vienna, as well as the presidential elections in Iran.

In this context, Fereydoun Abbasi, a conservative representative and head of the Energy Commission of the Iranian Parliament, has said that over the past 15 years, five "major" explosions have occurred at the Natanz nuclear facility, and in addition, numerous small incidents have occurred at the facility.

According to Fereydoun Abbasi, in the latest explosion at the Natanz nuclear facility, which occurred on the morning of April 12 of this year, they targeted the "end of the electricity distribution network," and in addition, an "explosion" occurred in the "battery house" that stored electricity in order to disrupt the electricity distribution network.

According to the New York Times, the explosion, which was the result of "Israeli sabotage," has "delayed Iran's uranium enrichment program by at least nine months."

Source: Radio Farda