Iran says Fordo equipment moved to secure area before Israeli attack
Iran moved equipment to safety ahead of an attack on the well-fortified Fordo nuclear facility, an official said on Saturday after Israel targeted sites throughout the country.
The damage outside the facility is manageable, said Behrus Kamalwandi, spokesman for the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, state news agency IRNA reported. Most of the equipment and materials had been moved to secure areas, he said.
The Fordo nuclear facility includes centrifuges for uranium enrichment at the site located about 100 kilometres south-west of Tehran.
The facility is located deep underground and is protected by anti-aircraft guns.
Iran did not inform the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the facility's existence until 2009, two years after its construction, after US and allied Western intelligence agencies learned of it.
Even before Israel's major attack, experts warned that Iran could move highly enriched uranium to secret locations and secure it in the event of war.
They said such an attack would only encourage the Iranian leadership to seek nuclear weapons as a deterrent.
The conflict began with Israel's large-scale assault launched by Israel early on Friday. According to Iranian officials, dozens of people were killed, and hundreds more injured. Most victims were civilians, including women and children.
Israel, the only nuclear power in the region, primarily targeted Iran's nuclear programme with its massive attack and said more than 100 targets were hit, including sites in Tehran, Tabriz and Shiraz, as well as the Natanz uranium enrichment facility.
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Hamilton Spectator
38 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Canada condemns Iran's attack on Israel, calls for de-escalation: Anand
OTTAWA - The Canadian government is condemning an Iranian attack on Israel after a barrage of long-range missiles was launched at Tel Aviv in retaliation for an Israeli strike in Iran. Israel attacked Iranian missile and nuclear sites Friday and Iran warned of 'severe punishment' before launching its missiles in response. Foreign Minister Anita Anand said Canada is urging restraint on both sides and that further actions could cause 'devastating consequences' for the broader region. Anand said the U.S.-Iran negotiations represent the best path to achieving a 'lasting and peaceful resolution' to Iran's nuclear program, adding that diplomatic engagement remains essential to ensuring long-term regional stability and international security. 'Iran cannot obtain nuclear weapons,' Anand said on social media Friday evening. 'Iran's continued efforts to pursue nuclear weapons, support for terrorists, and direct attacks on civilian centres embody Iran's persistent threat to regional stability and to Israel, which has the right to defend itself. 'Canadians in the region are encouraged to remain vigilant and to register with the embassy in order to receive timely updates.' The Israeli strike involved more than 200 aircraft and about 100 targets, according to Israel's military. Iran confirmed the deaths of three of its top military leaders and launched more than 100 drones at Israel in response. Israel said the drones were being intercepted outside the country's airspace. Israeli leaders described the attack as a pre-emptive strike to head off an imminent threat by destroying Iran's ability to build nuclear weapons. Iran maintains its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. After a meeting with the National Security Council, Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters Friday evening that the government was monitoring the situation 'closely.' At this point, Canada has not announced any changes to embassy staffing in Israel and the broader region. Canada closed its embassy in Iran in 2012. The U.S. evacuated some people from its embassy in Iraq before Israel attacked Iran. MP Robert Oliphant, Anand's parliamentary secretary, told reporters Friday that Iran is a 'wild card' in the Israel-Hamas war. '(Iran is) obviously using proxy wars at various times in various places, and so we will never defend Iran while we always stand with the people of Iran,' he said. He said Canadian diplomatic staff in the region are being protected through 'strong measures' but was unable to say whether plans are in the works to pull them out or boost embassy safety protocols. Dennis Horak, Canada's last ambassador to Iran, said that if Ottawa chooses to evacuate embassies in the region, its first step would be to order dependants and non-essential staff to leave. 'There are contingency plans for all of the embassies to have about evacuation plans and things like that, and those will be dusted off and may be reviewed,' Horak said. 'Ideally, out of our embassy in Israel, there would be a desire to get at least dependants out, but again the logistics of that may be challenging.' While Israeli airspace is currently closed, Horak said Canadians could leave by road for Jordan. With Canada hosting the G7 next week, Horak said it's an 'opportune' time for world leaders to discuss the conflict in the Middle East. 'How success would be defined is a whole other story,' he said. 'So I think it's fortunate timing, actually.' Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Israel has the right to act to defend itself by 'disarming' Iran before it has the capability to launch a nuclear strike. 'We should all hope that this is the end of the regime's nuclear program and that the great Persian people can now rise up to reclaim their country from the totalitarian regime,' Poilievre said on social media. 'All levels of government must take extra steps to protect Canada's Jewish community from vile antisemites who may use these events as an excuse for more acts of violence.' NDP foreign affairs critic Heather McPherson condemned Israel's actions in a media statement. 'While we have long condemned Iranian leadership, including the (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps), this illegal act by Israel will only provoke further violence,' she said. In a media statement, B'nai Brith Canada called on the federal government to support Israel. 'An Iran armed with nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles is an existential threat to the entire world,' the advocacy body said. 'For years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has worked relentlessly to develop nuclear weapons, arm terrorist proxies with weapons of mass destruction, and openly call for the annihilation of Israel and the West. Yesterday, Israel acted decisively to prevent a global catastrophe.' — With files from Catherine Morrison and The Associated Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear program are sweeping but can they decimate it?
Israel's sweeping attack across Iran struck at the heart of Tehran's nuclear program, delivering a blow to the country's ability to enrich uranium and potentially setting its nuclear ambitions back by months or years. As well as killing key military figures and nuclear scientists, the Israeli strikes destroyed part of a plant that was enriching uranium to levels far beyond the requirements for nuclear-fueled power stations. The attacks also destroyed backup power for the underground section of the plant, potentially damaging more sensitive equipment. Iran's nuclear program has progressed rapidly since 2018, when the U.S. withdrew from a deal to limit Tehran's capacity to enrich uranium, which is necessary to build a nuclear weapon. Iran maintains that its program is peaceful, but the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly warned that the country has enough enriched uranium to make several nuclear bombs if it chose to do so. Nuclear regulators said the assault was unlikely to lead to increased levels of radiation, even at the site where part of the fuel-enrichment plant was destroyed. Here's a closer look at the attack and its likely effects on Iran's nuclear efforts. There is 'no question' Israel's attacks did substantial damage, said Fabian Hinz, an expert on Iran's nuclear program at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London. David Albright, a nuclear weapons expert, speculated that the initial wave of attacks could set back any Iranian attempt to develop a nuclear weapon by about a year. A key question, Hinz said, is whether Israel also targeted suppliers of specialist components such as centrifuges and subcontractors. Israel's strategy appears to be to 'destroy the brains' behind the program and 'as much equipment as possible,' said Albright, who agreed that Israel has potentially done a 'tremendous amount of damage' to the program. Israel is widely believed to be behind a series of attacks in recent years that targeted Iranian nuclear scientists and sabotaged nuclear facilities. Hinz suggested a key Israeli goal was to undermine Iran's ability to make centrifuges, which are critical for enriching uranium. Uranium enrichment is a key component of building a nuclear weapon, but Iran would still need to develop a detonator. Delivering it using a missile would require solving further technical challenges. Iran has two uranium-enrichment sites, and the country said Wednesday that it has built and will activate a third enrichment facility. Early Friday, Israel struck Iran's main and oldest facility in Natanz, 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran, which was protected by anti-aircraft batteries, fencing and Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. The IAEA's chief, Rafael Grossi, told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday that the above-ground part of the plant where uranium was enriched up to 60% was destroyed, along with electrical infrastructure, including a substation, the main electric power supply building, the emergency power supply and backup generators. Grossi said there were no changes to radiation levels following the attack or any indication of damage to the underground section of the plant. That part of the facility is buried to protect it from airstrikes and contains the bulk of Natanz's enrichment facilities, with 10,000 centrifuges that enrich uranium up to 5%, Albright said. However, Grossi said, the loss of power may have damaged centrifuges. There is a good chance the strikes still caused 'massive damage,' Hinz said because many of the centrifuges were probably operating at the time of the strike. Centrifuges, Albright said, 'don't like vibration,' and the shock waves or loss of power could break delicate parts when they are rotating at high speed. Most of Iran's centrifuges are in Natanz, the experts said, because a lot of them are required to enrich uranium to 5% — which is the maximum level normally used for nuclear-fueled power stations. But, buried under a huge mountain at Fordo, around 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Tehran, is another nuclear facility where Iran is also enriching uranium to 60%, which is only a short step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. According to the IAEA, Tehran has the largest number of its most powerful centrifuges at Fordo. An Iranian news outlet close to the government reported Friday that two explosions were heard near the Fordo site. But, while Israel could potentially hit the entrance to Fordo and temporarily block access, it is not believed to have the type of earth-penetrating bombs required to blow up the mountain and crack open the nuclear facility inside, Hinz said. That capacity lies with the U.S., which has developed a massive bomb that can be dropped only from large aircraft that Israel does not have in service, he said. The potential for more strikes loomed large. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the attacks will continue 'for as many days at it takes to remove this threat.' Hinz said the attacks showed Israeli intelligence had 'absolutely exceptional' knowledge of Iran's nuclear program and the ability to strike at key targets 'with precision.' That could mean Israel could sabotage the plant, rather than trying to blast the mountain open. Albright suggested Israel could try to cut off electricity to Fordo, which could lead to centrifuges breaking. Although Grossi said part of the enrichment facility at Natanz was destroyed, he noted that radiation levels had not spiked. Even if radiation did leak, experts said, the amount would be unlikely to pose a risk to people in the region or even those near the facilities that got hit. 'Very little uranium will be released in these kind of attacks,' Albright said. Uranium itself is not especially toxic, he said, and is common in parts of the environment. A person standing near an enrichment facility with a leak would probably be exposed to no more radiation than someone who took several transatlantic flights, which receive slightly higher radiation because radiation doses are larger at high altitudes, he said. In order to become sick, someone would have to ingest large quantities of uranium, Albright said, pointing out that the element can be found naturally in seawater and the earth's crust. Rather than radiation, the greater risk might be from fluorine, which is used to enrich uranium and could have been deadly to those nearby if released during an attack. Fluorine is mixed with the uranium during enrichment to turn it into a gas called uranium hexafluoride. It is extremely volatile, will quickly corrode and can burn the skin. It is especially deadly if inhaled.
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
Everyone should keep an eye on this Persian Gulf island
Kharg Island is a small island in the Persian Gulf. It lies 16 miles off the northwest coast of Iran. It's 451 miles from Tehran, Iran's capital - roughly the distance from Detroit to New York City. It is just five miles long, about 40% the size of New York's Manhattan Island. And 125 from Iran's border with Iraq. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter It is also unique in the Persian Gulf. The island's limestone foundation allows it the luxury of fresh water reserves. Most importantly it also is the key port that exports Iranian crude oil. About 90% of Iran's oil exports flow through Kharg's terminal complex. And about a third of those exports go to China. Related: Stock Market Today: Attacks in Middle East Batter Stocks; Oil and Gold soar; Bitcoin Off Kharg could prove to be one of two key strategic places if the Israeli-Iran War (let's call it that for now) spins out of control. The other is the Strait of Hormuz, 21 miles wide at its narrowest, same as the English Channel. About a third of the world's liquified natural gas and 25% of its crude oil must pass through the strait to pass from the 615-mile Persian Gulf to reach buyers in Europe, Asia and elsewhere. Giant oil tankers with oil and natural gas from Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Oman and Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Bahrain flow though the strait Iran is the northern side of the strait, Oman on the southern. For years, whenever there's a conflict involving Iran, there are fears the country might block the strait. The importance of Kharg and the Strait of Hormuz helps explain why crude oil prices shot up as much as 14% late Thursday on the very first reports of Israel's attack on Iranian military and nuclear facilities. Related: Tesla makes a desperate move as it continues to lose customers Ultimately, West Texas Intermediate, the benchmark U.S. crude closed Friday up 7% to $71.29, and Brent, the benchmark global crude, was up the same amount to $74.23. If the worst of the conflict scenarios come to pass - Kharg's terminals and the strait are shut down, all bets are off on oil prices and, by extension, natural gas and gasoline prices. Kharg's terminal were blown up during the Iraq-Iran War of 1980-1988. If it happened again, Reuters reported, some analysts were suggesting crude prices could top $120 a barrel or higher, which would send gasoline prices much higher, maybe up to the top U.S. average price of $5.22 a gallon in May 2022. Global economies would be disrupted, and inflation would almost certainly jump. AAA's daily U.S. average gasoline price was up a penny to $3.133 a gallon on Saturday. The price is up just 3.1% so far in 2025.U.S. oil and gas stocks jumped on the Israeli-Iran news Friday. The Energy Sector of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index was alone among the 11 sectors of the index to post a gain for the day. Related: Starbucks CEO admits the struggling chain made a major mistake The Energy Select Sector SPDR exchange-traded fund (XLE) , which matches the index's Energy Sector, was up 1.7%. Oil services giant Halliburton (HAL) was up 5.5%. APA Corp. (APA) , parent of oil-and-gas producer Apache, was up 5.3%. The S&P 500 was down 1.13%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, down as many as 887 points in the afternoon, finished with a 700-point loss, or 1.8%, to 42,198. The major stock indexes - Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite, Nasdaq-100 and Russell 2000 - all finished lower on the week. More Economic Analysis: Hedge-fund manager sees U.S. becoming GreeceA critical industry is slamming the economyReports may show whether the economy is toughing out the tariffs That said, many analysts do not believe things will get that out of hand. Similar worries about Kharg and the Strait of Hormuz have generated similar worries and price projections. But, in a note on Friday, Amarpreet Singh, an analyst with Barclay's, said "cool heads have prevailed." Moreover, as Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group, a consulting firm that watches matters like these, thinks Iran has few cards to play in this conflict. Israeli intelligence capabilities are just too capable, he said on a podcast, and Iran's military capacity has been diminished substantially by the attacks this week. Still, attention must be paid. Most definitely. Related: Veteran fund manager issues dire stock market warning The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
