Iranian VP Claims Israel Tried Rigging Centrifuge Tech with Explosives

Iran's VP Mohammad Javad Zarif (AP/Ebrahim Noroozi) (AP/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Mohammad Javad Zarif said sanctions force Iran to rely on intermediaries for purchases, exposing it to Israeli interference.

By Ben Rappaport, United with Israel

Iran’s vice president claimed that Israel had planted explosives on centrifuge technology bought by Iran for its nuclear program, Iran International reported Tuesday.

Mohammad Javad Zarif said in remarks previewing an online interview that sanctions on Iran have made it more vulnerable to Israeli interference.

“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,” he told the Hozour (Presence) online program.

It is not clear when the alleged incident took place, according to Iran International.

Zarif explained that the sanctions force Iran and its allies to rely on intermediaries, making it easier for foreign elements to tamper with purchased equipment.

“Instead of being able to order equipment directly from the manufacturer, sanctions force you to rely on multiple intermediaries for such purchases,” he said.

“If the Zionist regime infiltrates even one of the intermediaries, they can do anything and embed anything they want, which is exactly what happened.”

He cited the September 2024 coordinated explosions of thousands of Hezbollah communications devices, resulting in 32 deaths and over 3,000 injuries, as a case in point of Israel’s successful infiltration of Iranian suppliers.

“The issue with the pagers in Lebanon turned out to be a multi-year process, meticulously orchestrated by the Zionists,” he said.

Following that incident, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard reportedly suspended use of its communication equipment, launching a large-scale operation to inspect devices and conducting an investigation into mid and high-ranking officials.

“These are, in fact, some of the damages caused by sanctions, which have made circumventing them a necessity for us,” Zarif said. “In addition to financial losses, there have also been significant security risks.”