TEHRAN - Government spokesman said on Tuesday that Iran will retaliate against the sabotage attack on the Natanz nuclear facility in the right time at the aggressor’s land.

Speaking at his weekly press briefing, Ali Rabiei condemned the terrorist act at the Natanz nuclear site and stressed that "action against the Natanz nuclear site shows the defeat of the enemies of Iran's industrial and political progresses."

Noting that Iran reserves the right to take action against the perpetrators of the attack, he said, "Iran, while condemning this move, urges the international community to respond to this nuclear terrorism. To thwart this goal, the Iranian government will continue to seriously pursue the development of nuclear technology and work to lift sanctions."

Rabiei said that this sabotage action is intended to prevent the country’s development on the one hand and successful negotiations to lift the cruel sanctions on the other. 

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran has assured that a large part of the damage caused by the sabotage will be restored in a short period of time and more advanced technologies will be used in the reconstruction according to the agreed decision.

He reminded, "It is clear to us that the root of this terrorist act is the anger of the Zionist enemies against the efforts of the members of the JCPOA to fully revive this agreement in recent weeks, and its ultimate goal is to prevent the continuation of this constructive diplomatic process."
The government spokesman stressed that Iran will retaliate at the appropriate time and with proportionate intensity but "we will not allow the enemies to achieve their political goals."
He added, "We expect all parties to the JCPOA, as well as the U.S. government, which considers itself a fan of diplomacy, to condemn this attack and to declare their commitment to the contrast between acts of sabotage and terrorism and the ongoing diplomatic process."
On a question about the details of Sunday's sabotage in the Natanz site and the extent of the damage, he said, "On Sunday, sabotage occurred in the power supply cable to the centrifuge machine system. This is not an external attack and the location of sabotage is well-known. The damage can be repaired quickly and the passionate personnel of the Atomic Energy Organization are working around the clock."
He confirmed that it was decided to install IR6 centrifuges instead of IR1 centrifuges, pointing that the new and more advanced centrifuges will work like a clock. 

"Certainly, the purpose of these destructions was to disable the centrifuges, and I declare today that, based on a national decision, the wheel of our centrifuges will spin forever."

Emphasizing that the main purpose of the sabotage is political in order to prevent the Iranian people from achieving their rights in the world, Rabiei said, "Experience shows us that whenever we take effective steps in the world, strategic enemy of Iran and its people are viciously committing cowardly terrorist acts against the interests of the nation."
Noting that the aim of such destruction was to attack both Iran's technical and political capabilities, he added, "They seek to weaken the spirit of the enthusiastic youth in the nuclear industry and create despair and hopelessness in the people, but we will definitely respond firmly."
He stated that Iran is pursuing a three-fold response to such evil actions.

"First, we have reserved our right to act against the perpetrators, commanders and consultants (of the sabotage), and warning Israel that, ‘this punishment will be carried out in the land of the aggressor’."

Rabiei said Iran's second response is development and expansion of peaceful nuclear activities. 

He said Iran's third answer is in the political field by lifting the sanctions and putting more efforts to secure the rights of the Iranian people. 

"We will thwart the goals of the terrorists. We will not fall into the trap of provocative operations of the enemy of Iran. We will continue on the right path in the international community. We will break the sanctions and we will help ensure and spread peace and security in the world and the region."

Addressing the enemies of the Islamic Republic, the government spokesman said, "We will not allow you to continue your disgraceful life, which, like a parasite, you can only continue in an insecure environment." According to Rabiei, there is very strong evidence that the Zionist regime has a hand in this incident.

Citing the reasons that Israel was behind the sabotage, he said, "First of all, the officials of this regime express their joy with two-sided statements because they are afraid of a decisive response from Iran."

He also lightened the mood with some good news, saying that the Ministry of Intelligence and the counterintelligence specialists have arrested several assassination and sabotage teams affiliated with the Israeli security services in recent months after the martyrdom of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, and now their case is under judicial investigation. 

"The traitor to the nation has been identified and his identity has been determined and the necessary measures are being taken," Rabiei said.