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Mint
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
Israel-Iran war: IAEA confirms critical damage to Iran's nuclear sites — Here's list of 8 past attacks on nuclear bases
With the tensions between Iran and Israel escalating in past couple of days, Israeli airstrikes dealt critical damage to a key Iranian nuclear facility and may have set back the Islamic Republic's uranium fuel cycle by months, Bloomberg reported International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as saying. According to the IAEA, multiple Israeli strikes against Iran's uranium-conversion facility at Isfahan, which is 400 km south of Tehran. The attack resulted in serious damage in Isfahan. The IAEA noted that the attacks on Isfahan would have significant impact, citing it is the only location for converting uranium into the feedstock used by centrifuges that separate the uranium isotopes needed for nuclear power or bombs. Without converting the new volumes of raw uranium, Iran's ability to produce additional quantities of enriched product would be frozen, the IAEA said. Despite Iran having ample stockpiles of existing material, the Gulf country's ability to scale up uranium-based nuclear missiles would be limited. 'If you interrupt that piece of the flow-sheet, the fuel cycle doesn't work anymore,' Bloomberg quoted Robert Kelley, a US nuclear engineer who led inspections for the IAEA in Iraq and Libya, as saying. 'The front end of their program dies.' However, it is not the first time that Iran's nuclear bases have been attacked. 2007 – Suspicious death of nuclear scientist Ardeshir Hosseinpour. 2010 — The Stuxnet computer virus, widely believed to be a joint U.S.-Israeli creation, disrupted and destroyed Iranian centrifuges. 2020 — After the disintegration of the 2015 nuclear deal, Israeli forces allegedly attacked against Iran's nuclear program to keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons. November 2020 — Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a top Iranian military nuclear scientist, was killed by a remote-controlled machine gun while traveling in a car outside Tehran. That time too, Iran accused Israel. April 11, 2021 — An attack targeted Iran's underground nuclear facility in Natanz. Iran blamed Israel. February 14, 2024 — An Israeli sabotage attack caused multiple explosions on an Iranian natural gas pipeline, which runs from Iran's western Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province to cities on the Caspian Sea. June 13, 2025 — Israel launched blistering attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear and military structure. It deployed warplanes and drones. June 14, 2025 — Israel expanded its airstrikes to include targets in Iran's energy industry as Iranian missile and drone attacks continue on Israel. 1967 — Iran takes possession of its Tehran Research Reactor under America's 'Atoms for Peace' program. August 2002 — an Iranian opposition group and western intelligence services revealed Iran's secret Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. June 2003 — Britain, France and Germany engaged Iran in nuclear negotiations. October 2003 — Iran suspended uranium enrichment. February 2006 — Following the election of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran announced it would restart uranium enrichment. Soon after this, Britain, France and Germany walk out of stalled negotiations. June 2009 — Despite fraud allegations, sparking Green Movement protests and violent government crackdown, Iran's disputed presidential election saw Ahmadinejad reelected October 2009 — Under President Barack Obama, the U.S. and Iran opened a secret backchannel for messages in the sultanate of Oman. July 14, 2015 — In exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions, Iran, along with other nations announced a long-term, comprehensive nuclear agreement that limits Tehran's enrichment of uranium. 2018 — Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel obtained tens of thousands of pages of data which showed Iran covered up its nuclear program before signing a deal in 2015. July 2020 — Iran accused Israel for a mysterious explosion which teared apart a centrifuge production plant at Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. April 16, 2021 — Iran began enriching uranium up to 60%, which is its highest purity ever and a technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%. June 2022 — Iran accused Israel of poisoning two nuclear scientists in different cities within three days of each other, though circumstances remain unclear. October 7, 2023 — Iran offered support to the Hamas militants after Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip storm into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostage. April 1, 2024 — An Israeli airstrike demolished Iran's Consulate in Syria's Damascus, killing 16 people, including two Iranian generals. April 14, 2024 — Iran launched an unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel, firing over 300 missiles and attack drones in response to the Israeli airstrike in Damascus. Oct. 26, 2024 — Israel openly attacked Iran for the first time, striking air defense systems and sites associated with its missile program. June 15, 2025 — Israel unleashes airstrikes across Iran for a third day following some Iranian missiles evade Israeli air defenses to strike buildings in the heart of Israel.
NDTV
a day ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Satellite Images Show Damage At Iran's Nuclear Site After Israel Strikes
Satellite images released by Maxar Technologies revealed detailed visual evidence of the destruction caused by Israel's Operation Rising Lion against Iran, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat of nuclear weapons to Israel's very survival. Israel has accused Iran of pursuing a nuclear weapons programme in defiance of global warnings, pointing to enriched uranium stockpiles capable of producing multiple nuclear bombs. Iran has long insisted its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes only. The newly released high-resolution satellite images show clear before-and-after comparisons of damage at Iran's key nuclear facility and the resultant damage. Israel's operation included strikes on Iran's underground uranium enrichment sites at Natanz and Fordow, and a uranium conversion facility at Isfahan, according to the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), citing information from Iranian officials. IAEA, also citing Iranian officials, said on Friday that a key, above-ground component of Iran's Natanz nuclear site had been destroyed. After Israel launched its strikes, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said that nuclear facilities "must never be attacked" and that targeting Iranian sites could have "grave consequences for the people of Iran, the region, and beyond". He added that no radiation leak had been detected so far at the facility. There was "extensive" damage to the site's power supply, according to a report from the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a US-based organisation specialising in nuclear proliferation, which analysed satellite images. A loss of electricity to underground facilities can significantly damage the site's centrifuges, the machines used to enrich uranium, the ISIS institute said. The nuclear facility at Natanz, located some 220 kilometers southeast of Tehran, is the country's main enrichment site. To defend against airstrikes, a part of the facility on Iran's Central plateau is underground. It operates multiple cascades, or groups of centrifuges working together to more quickly enrich uranium. In the past, Natanz has been targeted with a computer virus, Stuxnet, some 15 years ago, and with sabotage and explosions, attributed to Israel, as recently as 2021. The nuclear facility at Fordo is located some 100 kilometers southwest of Tehran. It also hosts centrifuge cascades, but isn't as big a facility as Natanz. Iran has said the damage to Fordow, south of Tehran, was minor. But experts said it is impossible at this stage to determine the impact the strikes might have had on uranium stockpiles believed to be stored around the Isfahan site. Buried under a mountain and protected by anti-aircraft batteries, Fordo, near the city of Qum, appears designed to withstand airstrikes. Its construction began at least in 2007, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, although Iran only informed the UN nuclear watchdog about the facility in 2009 after the US and allied Western intelligence agencies became aware of its existence. Emphasising that the fight is not against Iranians, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said, "Our fight is not with you. Our fight is with the brutal dictatorship that has oppressed you for 46 years. I believe that the day of your liberation is near. And when that happens, the great friendship between our two ancient peoples will flourish once again." He further stated that Israel will not let the world's most dangerous regime get the world's most dangerous weapons, adding that Iran plans to give those weapons, nuclear weapons, to its terrorist proxies. He stressed that if that happens, it would make the nightmare of nuclear terrorism all too real, and would bring that nuclear nightmare to the cities of Europe and eventually to America.
NDTV
a day ago
- Politics
- NDTV
What To Know About Iran's Nuclear Sites
Dubai: Israel attacked multiple Iranian nuclear and military sites on Friday as tensions reached new heights over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program. Israeli leaders said the attack was necessary to head off what they claimed was an imminent threat that Iran would build nuclear bombs. Iran long has insisted its program is peaceful and U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran was not actively pursuing the bomb. The attack came one day after the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors censured Iran for the first time in 20 years for not working with its inspectors. Iran immediately announced it would establish a third enrichment site in the country and swap out some centrifuges for more-advanced ones. The U.S. and Iran had been in talks that could have resulted in the U.S. lifting some of its crushing economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran drastically limiting or ending its enrichment of uranium. Here's a look at some major Iranian sites and their importance in Tehran's program. Natanz enrichment facility Iran's nuclear facility at Natanz, located some 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran, is the country's main enrichment site. Part of the facility on Iran's Central Plateau is underground to defend against potential airstrikes. It operates multiple cascades, or groups of centrifuges working together to more quickly enrich uranium. Iran also is burrowing into the Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, or Pickax Mountain, which is just beyond Natanz's southern fencing. Natanz has been targeted by the Stuxnet virus, believed to be an Israeli and American creation, which destroyed Iranian centrifuges. Two separate sabotage attacks, attributed to Israel, also have struck the facility. Fordo enrichment facility Iran's nuclear facility at Fordo is located some 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Tehran. It also hosts centrifuge cascades, but isn't as big a facility as Natanz. Buried under a mountain and protected by anti-aircraft batteries, Fordo appears designed to withstand airstrikes. Its construction began at least in 2007, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, although Iran only informed the U.N. nuclear watchdog about the facility in 2009 after the U.S. and allied Western intelligence agencies became aware of its existence. Bushehr nuclear power plant Iran's only commercial nuclear power plant is in Bushehr on the Persian Gulf, some 750 kilometers (465 miles) south of Tehran. Construction on the plant began under Iran's Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in the mid-1970s. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the plant was repeatedly targeted in the Iran-Iraq war. Russia later completed construction of the facility. Iran is building two other reactors like it at the site. Bushehr is fueled by uranium produced in Russia, not Iran, and is monitored by the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency. Arak heavy water reactor The Arak heavy water reactor is 250 kilometers (155 miles) southwest of Tehran. Heavy water helps cool nuclear reactors, but it produces plutonium as a byproduct that can potentially be used in nuclear weapons. That would provide Iran another path to the bomb beyond enriched uranium, should it choose to pursue the weapon. Iran had agreed under its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers to redesign the facility to relieve proliferation concerns. Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center The facility in Isfahan, some 350 kilometers (215 miles) southeast of Tehran, employs thousands of nuclear scientists. It also is home to three Chinese research reactors and laboratories associated with the country's atomic program. Tehran Research Reactor The Tehran Research Reactor is at the headquarters of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, the civilian body overseeing the country's atomic program. The U.S. actually provided Iran the reactor in 1967 as part of America's "Atoms for Peace" program during the Cold War. It initially required highly enriched uranium but was later retrofitted to use low-enriched uranium over proliferation concerns.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
What to know about Iran's nuclear sites as tensions with Israel escalate
A series of Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities on Friday marked a significant escalation in long-simmering tensions over Tehran's nuclear ambitions. Israeli officials described the attack as a pre-emptive move to stop what they allege is Iran's accelerating pursuit of nuclear weapons. Iran, for its part, has consistently maintained that its programme is for peaceful purposes. In its attack on Friday, Israel said that it had hit the Natanz nuclear facility, among the 100 targets it struck across Iran. In a video announcing the military operation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes hit Iran's main enrichment site, the Natanz atomic facility, and targeted the country's leading nuclear scientists. He said that Israel had also targeted Iran's ballistic missile arsenal. The assault came just a day after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) formally rebuked Iran for failing to cooperate with inspectors — its first censure of the country in two decades. In response, Tehran announced the establishment of a third uranium enrichment site and the installation of more advanced centrifuges. Here's a closer look at Iran's key nuclear facilities, the history of its program, and how it reached this point: The major nuclear sites Natanz Enrichment Facility Located roughly 135 miles southeast of Tehran, Natanz is Iran's primary uranium enrichment site. Partially built underground to withstand airstrikes, the facility houses cascades of centrifuges used to enrich uranium more efficiently. Iran has also been tunnelling into a nearby mountain known as Kūh-e Kolang Gaz Lā (Pickax Mountain) — an effort seen as an attempt to fortify and expand the site. Natanz has been previously targeted by cyberattacks, most notably the Stuxnet virus and multiple acts of sabotage attributed to Israel. Fordo Enrichment Facility Roughly 60 miles southwest of Tehran, Fordo is smaller than Natanz but more heavily fortified. Built deep beneath a mountain and protected by air defence systems, the facility has long been viewed as a hardened backup to Natanz. Fordo was constructed starting in 2007, but Iran only acknowledged its existence in 2009 after Western intelligence agencies revealed the project to the IAEA. Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant Situated on the Persian Gulf about 465 miles south of Tehran, Bushehr is Iran's only operational commercial nuclear power plant. Originally launched in the 1970s under the US-backed Shah, the project was halted after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and later completed by Russia. Bushehr is fuelled by Russian-supplied uranium and remains under IAEA monitoring. Iran is constructing two additional reactors at the site. Arak Heavy Water Reactor Located 155 miles southwest of Tehran, Arak is designed to use heavy water as a coolant, a process that can produce plutonium as a byproduct. While Iran has not pursued plutonium-based weapons, Arak theoretically offers a second pathway to a nuclear bomb. As part of the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Iran agreed to redesign Arak to reduce proliferation risks. Isfahan Nuclear Technology Centre Roughly 215 miles southeast of Tehran, Isfahan is a hub of nuclear research and development. It hosts three Chinese-built research reactors and employs thousands of Iranian scientists. The site plays a crucial role in training and infrastructure for Iran's atomic programme. Tehran Research Reactor Located at the headquarters of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, this reactor dates back to 1967 and was supplied by the United States during the Cold War under the 'Atoms for Peace' initiative. Originally fuelled with weapons-grade uranium, it has since been modified to use low-enriched uranium to reduce proliferation concerns. A brief history of Iran's nuclear programme Iran's atomic ambitions began in 1957, when the United States helped launch its nuclear program under President Eisenhower's Atoms for Peace initiative. By the 1970s, Iran began developing the reactors with support from the West but the pact ended after the Islamic revolution of 1979. However, alarm bells started ringing in the early 2000s following the discovery of undeclared facilities at Natanz and Arak. As a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Iran is prohibited from developing nuclear weapons, but the IAEA and other countries in the West have expressed concerns over the opacity and scope of Iran's activities. In 2015, Iran agreed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with the US and other world powers. The deal capped uranium enrichment at 3.67 per cent, limited Iran's stockpile, banned certain types of centrifuges, and subjected its facilities to international inspections in exchange for economic sanctions relief. In 2018, then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the agreement, calling it 'a disaster.' The US, as such, reimposed sweeping sanctions and in retaliation, Iran began scaling back its compliance, eventually resuming high-level enrichment. By 2024, Iran was enriching uranium to 60 per cent purity, extremely close to the 90 per cent threshold needed for weapons-grade material. The country also deployed more advanced centrifuges and disabled IAEA surveillance equipment at key sites. (With inputs from AP, The New York Times)
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Israel's strikes on Iran's most important nuclear facilities: Here's what you need to know about them
Israel's strikes on Iran's most important nuclear facilities: Here's what you need to know about them Iran's nuclear industry is well-established, with important centres spread over the country, and some buried deep underground, to protect from the kind of aerial attack Israel has just launched. Here are the main centres of Iran's nuclear programme: Natanz Roughly 225km south of Tehran, the capital, Natanz is considered Iran's main centre for uranium enrichment, and it was a prime target of the Israeli strikes. The damage to it appeared to be severe. It is only partially underground and was recently reinforced. It contains a range of sophisticated centrifuges, including the most advanced models, for enriching uranium to high levels. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations nuclear watchdog, says there are nearly 14,000 centrifuges at work there, with thousands more in place but inactive. Uranium enriched at low levels can be used as fuel for civilian uses, such as producing energy. Highly enriched uranium can be used to make nuclear weapons. Natanz has been targeted in the past, with a computer virus, Stuxnet, some 15 years ago, and with sabotage and explosions as recently as 2021. Iran has always repaired the damage and increased the sophistication of its centrifuges. Rafael Grossi, head of the IAEA, confirmed on June 13 that Natanz had been hit but said that no radiation leak had been detected so far. He condemned attacks on nuclear facilities in general, as he has done in Ukraine, as very dangerous. 'Any military action that jeopardises the safety and security of nuclear facilities risks grave consequences for the people of Iran, the region and beyond,' he told the agency's board of governors in Vienna. Fordo Iran's best-protected nuclear site, Fordo, near the city of Qom, is deep inside a mountain, estimated to be about 800 metres below ground to protect it from bombing. Israel did not appear to have attacked it. To do so would require repeated use of huge 'bunker buster' bombs, and most experts think that cannot be done by Israel alone, without US help. Fordo was operated secretly by Iran until it was exposed in 2009. It contains Iran's most advanced centrifuges and is considered crucial for Iran to enrich uranium to 60 per cent, close to bomb grade. It is said to contain close to 3,000 sophisticated centrifuges, more than half of them the most modern type, with the capacity to install at least 1,000 more. Parchin Parchin is a military complex south-east of Tehran, where Iran has tested high explosives, which can be used as triggers for nuclear warheads. It is widely suspected that the site was used in the past by Iran in efforts to weaponise enriched uranium. Iran has denied ever doing nuclear work there but has refused to allow the IAEA access it has demanded. Bushehr Bushehr is Iran's only operating nuclear power plant. Located on the coast of the Persian Gulf, it uses Russian fuel that Russia then takes back when it is spent. NYTIMES Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
