Dutch media uncovers culprit in Iranian nuclear program 2007 sabotage
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Dutch media reveals that Dutch engineer Erik van Sabben played a pivotal role in the operation orchestrated by the US and "Israel" in 2007 to sabotage Iran's nuclear program.
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This photo released by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, shows centrifuge machines in the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in Iran, on November 5, 2019. (AP)
Dutch engineer Erik van Sabben played a pivotal part in a covert operation led by the United States and "Israel" in 2007, according to a two-year investigation by the Dutch newspaper Volkskrant.
The operation aimed to sabotage Iran's nuclear program by introducing malware into the control systems of an enrichment facility. Infiltrating the nuclear facility located in Natanz, Iran, the engineer, Erik van Sabben, clandestinely introduced the Stuxnet computer malware into the facility's system.
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This sophisticated virus, with a reported development cost exceeding $1 billion, wreaked havoc by severely impairing the majority of enrichment centrifuges. The resulting damage from the sabotage operation dealt a significant blow to Iran's nuclear program.
Initiated in 2004 by the US and "Israel," the operation remained undisclosed to the Dutch government, according to the report. As per the report, Erik van Sabben, employed as an engineer in a Dubai-based shipping company, was recruited into the operation in 2005.
This operation aimed to disrupt Iran's nuclear ambitions by targeting the nuclear facility in Natanz. Dutch engineer Erik van Sabben played a crucial role in this undertaking. Working undercover, he infiltrated the facility and introduced the Stuxnet computer worm into the control systems.
Van Sabben later died in a motorcycle crash in 2009.
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The US pressure on Iran has never faded until this very day. Late last month, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States should stop exerting pointless pressure on Tehran and instead take the required political actions.
The Iranian official emphasized the peaceful character of Iran's nuclear program and expressed that Tehran thinks negotiation is the best way to address what he described as unfounded fears about Iran's peaceful nuclear activities.
Rather than issue pointless statements, Kanaani expressed the nations should "take the necessary political decisions," emphasizing that the E3 has moved away from negotiations, and as such, they are in no position to comment about the nuclear program.
“Enrichment at 60% level in Iran's enrichment centers has always been and will continue to be in accordance with the peaceful needs of the country and fully under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).”
