Monitored Alarm Systems

Intelligence chief blames western powers for computer worm targeting nuclear systems

Iran had detained several "spies" involved in attempts to sabotage the country's nuclear programme through cyberspace, the Iranian intelligence minister, Heydar Moslehi, said.

The announcement yesterday follows the attack on industrial computer systems in Iran by the Stuxnet worm, designed to disrupt its nuclear facilities, including the Bushehr power plant.

Although officials attempted to play down the significance of the Stuxnet attack, which had infected more than 30,000 computers, Moslehi's comments, apparently meant to reassure Iranians, suggest the cyber attack had caused more alarm in the regime than has so far been acknowledged.

Suspicions have also been growing in recent days that the Stuxnet worm may have been designed as much to spy on the systems as to destroy them.

In his speech, carried on Iranian television condition and maintenance Mehr News, Moslehi said that Iran has opened a "destructive activities arrogant [Western powers] in cyberspace", adding that "the various ways of dealing with them have been developed and implemented ".

He added: "I assure all citizens that the intelligence apparatus currently has complete supervision of cyberspace and will not allow any leak or destruction of our country's nuclear activities."

Moslehi gave no details of when the arrests had taken place or whether those detained were Iranians or citizens of another country.