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Iran denies computer worm hit nuke plans
Source: Agencies |
November 24, 2010, Wednesday
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IRAN'S nuclear chief said yesterday that the malicious computer worm known as Stuxnet has not harmed the country's atomic program and accused the West of being behind a failed sabotage attempt.
Vice President Ali Akbar Salehi's remarks came a day after diplomats said in Vienna that Iran's nuclear program recently suffered major technical problems that forced the temporary shutdown of thousands of centrifuges enriching uranium - the cornerstone of Iran's program.
Salehi said details about the virus became known only after Iran's "enemies failed to achieve their goals."
Over the past several months, Iranian officials have acknowledged that the Stuxnet code had spread widely through Iranian industrial sites and infected several personal laptops belonging to employees at the country's first nuclear power plant.
"One year and several months ago, Westerners sent a virus to (our) country's nuclear sites," Salehi said, according to the official IRNA news agency.
"They had hoped to stop our speedy peaceful nuclear activities through software. But, with the grace of God, we discovered the virus exactly at the same spot it wanted to penetrate because of our vigilance and prevented the virus from harming (equipment)," IRNA quoted him as saying.
The diplomats in Vienna on Monday said they had no specifics on the nature of the problem that they say led Iranian experts in recent months to briefly power down the centrifuge machines they use for enrichment - a nuclear technology that has both civilian and military uses.
Suspicions focused on the Stuxnet worm, the computer virus thought to be aimed at Iran's nuclear program, which experts last week identified as being calibrated to destroy centrifuges by sending them spinning out of control.
Vice President Ali Akbar Salehi's remarks came a day after diplomats said in Vienna that Iran's nuclear program recently suffered major technical problems that forced the temporary shutdown of thousands of centrifuges enriching uranium - the cornerstone of Iran's program.
Salehi said details about the virus became known only after Iran's "enemies failed to achieve their goals."
Over the past several months, Iranian officials have acknowledged that the Stuxnet code had spread widely through Iranian industrial sites and infected several personal laptops belonging to employees at the country's first nuclear power plant.
"One year and several months ago, Westerners sent a virus to (our) country's nuclear sites," Salehi said, according to the official IRNA news agency.
"They had hoped to stop our speedy peaceful nuclear activities through software. But, with the grace of God, we discovered the virus exactly at the same spot it wanted to penetrate because of our vigilance and prevented the virus from harming (equipment)," IRNA quoted him as saying.
The diplomats in Vienna on Monday said they had no specifics on the nature of the problem that they say led Iranian experts in recent months to briefly power down the centrifuge machines they use for enrichment - a nuclear technology that has both civilian and military uses.
Suspicions focused on the Stuxnet worm, the computer virus thought to be aimed at Iran's nuclear program, which experts last week identified as being calibrated to destroy centrifuges by sending them spinning out of control.
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