In 2007, Iranʼs nuclear program failed — almost a thousand ultracentrifuges needed for uranium enrichment failed. The nuclear program was postponed for years. Behind this was the Dutch engineer Erik van Sabben, who received a task from the American CIA [Central Intelligence Agency] and the Israeli Mossad.
This is stated in an investigation by the Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant.
Eric van Sabben was recruited by the Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) in 2005 while working for the transport company TTS in Dubai, but then moved to the Arab Al-Jaber Group before returning to TTS. While working for a transport company, he had the opportunity to deliver special equipment to Iran. In addition, he had an Iranian wife.
Eric van Sabben.
de Volkskrant
At the same time, the General Intelligence and Security Service of the Netherlands claims that it did not know exactly how the sabotage would be carried out at the Iranian nuclear complex in Natang. The prime minister, government and parliament of the Netherlands also did not know about this operation, because they were not informed about it due to fear of political consequences.
Erik van Sabben is believed to have injected Stuxnet into the computer systems at the Natang nuclear facility while installing a water pump or via a USB drive. Whether he knew exactly what he was doing is unknown, but he was told that the actions would be directed against Iranʼs nuclear program.
Stuxnet became a new digital weapon created by the American and Israeli secret services. At first, the virus infected the computers of the nuclear complex, and then spread beyond its borders. A computer virus that causes the valves of ultracentrifuges to close at a given time, preventing gas from escaping, was modified by Americans and Israelis in the spring of 2009. The new version was able to spread on its own without requiring the use of agents to infiltrate the Iranian system.
Then the problem arose that it could also infect plants for the production of low-enriched uranium around the world, in particular in the Netherlands. It was the first time countries have deployed malware. The geopolitical implications of Stuxnet were great. In particular, after the virus was leaked, other states also began to develop digital weapons.
At the end of 2008, Eric van Sabben continued to work in Dubai and decided to visit his wifeʼs family in Iran, but within ten days he left the country "in a panic". In a few days, already in 2009, the engineer died — his motorcycle went off the track and overturned. Presumably, it was an accident, but a source in the Dutch intelligence service indicated that the man "paid a high price" for the operation.
There are still many questions in this story. For example, whether Iran knew about Ericʼs secret work and whether Eric himself understood his role in the operation, as well as why he quickly left Iran when he came to his wifeʼs relatives.
- There were also attacks on the nuclear facility in Natang after 2007. On the night of April 11, 2021, an accident occurred at an underground plant in Natang. The light suddenly went out at the nuclear facility where uranium is being enriched. Iran announced a terrorist attack, and the media reported that the plant was attacked by hackers on behalf of the Israeli Mossad. Israel has not officially confirmed or denied its involvement.
- On April 10, the plant launched new 164 IR-6 and 30 IR-5 centrifuges, which can enrich uranium faster. The launch was watched by President Hassan Rouhani. He repeatedly stated that Iranʼs nuclear program has an exclusively peaceful purpose and is not aimed at creating weapons.
- Later it turned out that the accident disabled more than a thousand centrifuges for enriching and purifying uranium, and also destroyed the ground power system. Iran blamed Israel for the accident.