Israel strikes had ‘direct impacts' on underground nuclear site in Iran: Watchdog
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations's atomic watchdog, said Tuesday that Israel's strikes on Iran have had 'direct impacts' on the underground enrichment halls 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 watchdog wrote Tuesday in a post on the social platform X.
The agency added there were no reported changes fueled by attacks on Tehran's nuclear development centers in the Iranian cities of Isfahan and Fordow.
'Electricity infrastructure at the facility, which included an electrical substation, a main electric power supply building, an emergency power supply and backup generators, was also destroyed,' IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told the agency's board of governors Monday.
'There has been no indication of a physical attack on the underground cascade hole containing part of the pilot fuel enrichment plant and the main fuel enrichment plant,' Grossi continued. 'However, the loss of power to the cascade hole may have damaged the centrifuges located there.'
He also warned that nuclear safety was being 'compromised' during the Israeli military's five-day blitz on Iran in an effort to thwart the country's plans for nuclear developments.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military touted the death of Ali Shadmani, Iran's senior-most military official, after a Monday strike on two F-14 fighter jets located at an airport in Tehran — which it said was intended to intercept an Israeli aircraft. Israel urged 300,000 people in Tehran to evacuate, pending additional attacks.
Last week, Israeli forces detonated bombs at the Iranian Isfahan nuclear site, taking out four buildings including the chemical laboratory, a uranium conversion plant, the Tehran reactor fuel manufacture plant and UF4 to EU metal processing facility, according to the IAEA.
'I acknowledge the cooperation and exchange of information between the Iranian authorities and the IAEA. Amid these challenging and complex circumstances, it is crucial that the IAEA receives timely and regular technical information about the facilities and their respective sites,' Grossi said Monday.
'This information is needed to promptly inform you, the international community, and ensure an effective response and assistance to any emergency situation in Iran,' he added.
The IAEA official also noted he's personally contacted inspectors on the ground to ensure they are unharmed and able to monitor the radiological conditions from airstrikes in addition to potential impacts on the population and the environment.
The news comes as President Trump has faced pressure over the U.S. response to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The Trump administration had led talks with Iranian officials over dismantling its nuclear program. Iran on Saturday pulled out of the latest round of nuclear talks as the Middle Eastern nations traded strikes.
The president has not ruled out the possibility of the U.S. military becoming involved in the conflict.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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