The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said Tuesday that Israeli strikes have hit the underground centrifuge halls at Iran’s main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz.
“Based on continued analysis of high resolution satellite imagery collected after Friday’s attacks, the IAEA has identified additional elements that indicate direct impacts on the underground enrichment halls at Natanz,” the International Atomic Energy Agency wrote in a statement on X.
The agency said there is “no change to report” at Fordow, Iran’s other major enrichment facility, or Esfahan, a uranium conversion site.
The IAEA’s statement is the first independent confirmation that Israeli strikes damaged Natanz’s underground enrichment halls. While earlier reports noted damage to above-ground structures and electrical systems, it was unclear whether the fortified underground facilities, which house most of Iran’s enrichment operations, had been hit.
The Israeli military has eliminated multiple senior Iranian generals, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander in chief Hossein Salami and chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri. Israeli strikes have also killed at least 9 top nuclear scientists and 20 senior commanders tied to Iran’s ballistic missile and drone programs.
Just a day before fighting broke out early Friday morning, Iran said it plans to build another uranium enrichment site and upgrade an existing facility, in response to the U.N. watchdog censuring Tehran for the first time in 20 years over its failure to cooperate with ongoing oversight efforts.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Iran that the regime will not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon, urging Iranian officials to “make a deal while they have something left.” Trump said that “it’s possible” the United States could enter the fray if the conflict escalates.
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Author: Matthew Xiao
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