(Forelines)– The Israeli military said on Thursday that it had attacked what it claimed was a nuclear weapons research facility near Natanz and targeted Iran’s Arak nuclear reactor overnight, according to Reuters report.
Iran’s partially developed heavy-water research reactor, formerly known as Arak and now Khondab, was one of its nuclear locations, as per the report.
“The IDF struck key sites tied to Iran’s nuclear weapons and missile programs, including: – Inactive nuclear reactor in Arak—a key component in plutonium production – A nuclear weapons development site near Natanz – Ballistic missile & air defense production facilities – Radar systems & missile storage sites,” Israeli Defence Forces wrote in a post on X.
According to Iranian media, cited by Reuters, on Thursday morning, two projectiles struck a nearby location near the Khondab nuclear complex, triggering the activation of air defenses in the vicinity.
Officials said Iranian state TV, quoted by Reuters, that no radiation concerns or injuries were found, and evacuations had been completed before the strikes. No damage has been mentioned.
A facility at the center of Iran’s nuclear program, including two enrichment plants, was located in Natanz, which Israel had previously hit during its six-day aerial war with Iran, Reuters added.
As per Reuters, the Israeli military went on to say that it targeted the core seal structure of the Arak reactor, which it recognized as a crucial part of the manufacture of plutonium.
Khondab hosts to a heavy-water research reactor that is still under development.
Under a 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and international powers, construction was suspended, and the reactor’s core was taken out and packed with concrete to render it useless.
Iran did, however, notify the U.N. nuclear watchdog that it intended to begin reactor operations in 2026, reported by Reuters.
Because heavy-water reactors can readily manufacture plutonium, which can be used to create a bomb’s core like enriched uranium, they provide a risk of nuclear proliferation.
According to Iran, cited by Reuters, the nuclear program is the focus of is completely for peaceful purposes.