Iran military: Israel, U.S. behind Stuxnet computer worm

Head of Iranian military unit says experts determined that the mysterious computer virus, which damaged some of Iran's centrifuges at its main nuclear facility, originated in Texas and Israel.

A senior Iranian military official said that Iranian experts have determined the United States and Israel were behind a mysterious computer worm known as Stuxnet that has harmed Iran's nuclear program.

Gholam Reza Jalali said investigations by Iranian experts show that Stuxnet originated from the U.S. state of Texas and Israel.

Jalali heads a military unit called Passive Defense that primarily deals with sabotage. His comments were reported Saturday by Iran's official IRNA news agency.

Jalali is the first Iranian official to blame Tehran's two arch-foes over the Stuxnet virus. Some reports in the Western media had indicated that the U.S. and Israel were behind it.

Iran has acknowledged Stuxnet hit a limited number of centrifuges at its main uranium enrichment facility, the centerpiece of its nuclear program.

In November, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that malicious software had created "problems" in some of Iran's uranium enrichment centrifuges, although he said the problems had been resolved.

Israel, the U.S., and their allies accuse Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Iran denies.

By The Associated Press

http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/iran-military-official-israel-u-s-behind-stuxnet-computer-worm-1.356287