Iran said it foiled a sabotage attack on Wednesday on an atomic energy agency building in a mysterious incident that comes as the U.S. blocked Iran-linked websites and as talks to revive a nuclear deal progressed.
State television said a “sabotage operation against one of the buildings (of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran) was foiled” without causing any casualties or damage.
“The saboteurs failed to carry out their plan,” the broadcaster added, without identifying the building or the nature of the attack that had been averted.
The news of the attack came a day after the U.S. Justice Department said it seized 33 Iranian government-controlled media websites, which it alleged were hosted on U.S.-owned domains in violation of sanctions.
Tehran warned on Wednesday that Washington’s decision to block the sites was “not constructive” for ongoing talks aimed at bringing the United States back to the landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.
Wednesday’s sabotage attack also comes two days after Iran said it temporarily shut down its only nuclear power plant at Bushehr on the country’s Gulf coast for maintenance work.
The developments come days after ultraconservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi was elected Iran’s next President in an election the U.S. denounced as neither free nor fair.
Mr. Raisi, seen as close to the country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Monday he would not allow the nuclear negotiations to drag on. He is set to replace President Hassan Rouhani.