Iran has reported a US and Israeli strike on a nuclear facility in Natanz
The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran has stated that on 21 March, the US and Israel carried out a new strike on the uranium enrichment facility in Natanz. Representatives from the US and Israel have not commented on these reports, according to DW.
According to the results of a technical assessment, there was no leakage of radioactive materials and there is no threat to residents of neighbouring areas. The Organisation described the strike as a violation of international laws and obligations, in particular the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
Iran reported the attack to the International Atomic Energy Agency. The agency noted that no increase in radiation levels outside the facility had been recorded, and the report is being verified.
The Natanz nuclear complex is located in Isfahan Province, approximately 250 kilometres south of Tehran. Its existence became known in 2002. The facility includes above-ground and underground installations for uranium enrichment, with over 10,000 centrifuges installed there.
According to estimates by the International Atomic Energy Agency, uranium was being enriched to 60 per cent at Natanz. A level of 3–5 per cent is sufficient for a nuclear power plant, whereas a level of 90 per cent is required to produce nuclear weapons.
As a result of US strikes in the summer of 2025, the above-ground centrifuges were destroyed. It remained unknown whether the underground facilities had been damaged. Following those strikes, US President Donald Trump stated that all three of Iran’s nuclear facilities had been completely destroyed, and that their restoration would take years.
