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ABC News
42 minutes ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Israel is targeting Iran's nuclear uranium enrichment plants. Here are the contamination risks
Israel has been targeting Iran from the air since last Friday in what it has described as an effort to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), five nuclear facilities have been struck, sparking fears the air strikes could raise health risks across the region. Here's what damage has been caused so far and the safety risks of attacking nuclear sites. Several military and nuclear sites in Iran. Israel says the attacks are to block Iran from developing atomic weapons. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operations were to "strike the head of Iran's nuclear weaponization program". Iran denies ever having pursued a plan to build nuclear weapons and is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It says the nuclear sites it does have are for peaceful purposes. If Israel continues attacking Iran until it removes the country's nuclear capability, destroying the Fordow enrichment plant is central to its plan. While another important facility, Natanz, has been hit, the Fordow site would be much harder to target. This is because it's located inside a mountain, 90-metres underground and can only be reached by American "bunker-buster" bombs, which Israel does not possess. Because Israel believes Iran is enriching uranium to levels that could allow it to build a nuclear weapon, despite the Islamic Republic's claims its nuclear work is for "peaceful purposes". Enriched uranium, specifically uranium-235, is an essential component in many nuclear weapons. "When you dig uranium out of the ground, 99.3 per cent of it is uranium-238, and 0.7 per cent of it is uranium-235," Kaitlin Cook says, a nuclear physicist at the Australian National University. "The numbers 238 and 235 relate to its weight — uranium-235 is slightly lighter than uranium-238." To enrich uranium, basically means increasing the proportion of uranium-235, while removing the uranium-238. This is typically done with a centrifuge, a kind of "scientific salad spinner" which rotates uranium thousands of times a minute, separating the lighter uranium-235 from the base uranium. For civilian nuclear power, Dr Cook says uranium-235 is usually enriched to about 3 to 5 per cent. But once uranium is enriched to 90 per cent, it is deemed weapons-grade. According to the IAEA, Iran's uranium has reached about 60 per cent enrichment, well on its way to being concentrated enough for a nuclear weapon. Dr Cook says the process for enriching uranium from 60 per cent to weapons-grade is much easier than it is to get to the initial 60 per cent. That's because there's less uranium-238 to get rid of. According to the US Institute for Science and International Security, "Iran can convert its current stock of 60 per cent enriched uranium into 233kg of weapon-grade uranium in three weeks at the Fordow plant", which it said would be enough for nine nuclear weapons. In the hours after Israel attacked Iran last Friday, Netanyahu said Iran was just days away from being able to build nuclear weapons. In a White House briefing, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran has all it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon. "It would take a couple of weeks to complete the production of that weapon, which would, of course, pose an existential threat not just to Israel, but to the United States and to the entire world." But there has been some back and forth between US authorities on whether Iran was really that close to producing nuclear weapons. In March, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told members of Congress that Iran was not moving towards building nuclear weapons. "The IC [intelligence community] continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons programme he suspended in 2003," she said. On Air Force One on Monday night, after hastily leaving the G7 summit, President Donald Trump offered a direct contradiction to Ms Gabbard's claims. "I don't care what she said," Mr Trump said. "I think they were very close to having it." The IAEA said Israel had directly hit the underground enrichment halls at the Natanz facility, leaving them "severely damaged, if not destroyed all together". According to the IAEA, the Natanz site was one of the facilities at which Iran was producing uranium enriched up to 60 per cent U-235. After the attack, the IAEA found radioactive contamination at the site, but it said the levels of radioactivity outside remained unchanged and at normal levels. Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Effie Defrin said: "We've struck deep, hitting Iran's nuclear, ballistic and command capabilities." A nuclear complex at Isfahan and centrifuge production facilities in Karaj and Tehran were also damaged. Israel said on Wednesday it had targeted Arak, also known as Khondab, the location of a partially built heavy-water research reactor. The IAEA said it had information that the heavy-water reactor had been hit, but that it was not operating and reported no radiological effects. Experts say attacks on enrichment facilities are mainly a "chemical problem", not radiological. Darya Dolzikova, a senior research fellow at London think tank RUSI, says the main concern from destroying an enrichment plant is releasing the harmful uranium hexafluoride gas — highly corrosive and toxic — that's contained in centrifuges. "When UF6 interacts with water vapour in the air, it produces harmful chemicals," Ms Dolzikova said. The extent to which any material is dispersed would depend on factors including weather conditions, she added. "In low winds, much of the material can be expected to settle in the vicinity of the facility; in high winds, the material will travel farther, but is also likely to disperse more widely." Peter Bryant, a professor at the University of Liverpool who specialises in radiation protection science and nuclear energy policy, says nuclear facilities are designed to prevent the release of radioactive materials into the environment. "Uranium is only dangerous if it gets physically inhaled or ingested or gets into the body at low enrichments," Professor Bryant said. While there so far has been no major radiological incidents as a result of the attacks, IAEA director-general Rafael Mariano Grossi stressed the possible nuclear safety and security risks. "There is a lot of nuclear material in Iran in different places, which means that the potential for a radiological accident with the dispersion in the atmosphere of radioactive materials and particles does exist," he said. In a post on X, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also voiced his concern about the potential "immediate and long-term impacts on the environment and health of people in Iran and across the region". Well that's a different story. A strike on Iran's nuclear reactor at Bushehr could cause an "absolute radiological catastrophe", says James Acton, co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. While most reactor vessels are protected by steel and concrete containment structures, Dr Cook says the surrounding infrastructure, like spent fuel pools and cooling equipment, would "definitely be a concern" if targeted. For Gulf states, the impact of any strike on Bushehr would be worsened by the potential contamination of Gulf waters, jeopardising a critical source of desalinated potable water. In the UAE, desalinated water accounts for more than 80 per cent of drinking water. While Bahrain and Qatar are fully reliant on desalinated water. "If a natural disaster, oil spill, or even a targeted attack were to disrupt a desalination plant, hundreds of thousands could lose access to freshwater almost instantly," said Nidal Hilal, professor of engineering and director of New York University Abu Dhabi's Water Research Center. "Coastal desalination plants are especially vulnerable to regional hazards like oil spills and potential nuclear contamination," he said. On Thursday, an Israeli military spokesperson said the military has struck the Bushehr nuclear site in Iran. However, an Israeli military official later said that comment "was a mistake". The official would only confirm that Israel had hit the Natanz, Isfahan, and Arak nuclear sites in Iran. Pressed further on Bushehr, the official said he could neither confirm or deny that Israel had struck the location. Bushehr is Iran's only operating nuclear power plant, which sits on the Gulf coast, and uses Russian fuel that Russia then takes back when it is spent to reduce proliferation risk. Heavy water is H20 made up of hydrogen-2 instead of hydrogen-1. Dr Cook says it's a little heavier than normal water. "When you use heavy water, you can run your reactor on non-enriched uranium, avoiding the expense of enriching it in the first place, though the water does cost more. "But the problem is that heavy-water reactors can also be used to produce plutonium, which can be used in nuclear weapons." Israel's military said its fighter jets targeted the Arak facility and its reactor core seal to halt it from being used to produce plutonium. "The strike targeted the component intended for plutonium production, in order to prevent the reactor from being restored and used for nuclear weapons development." India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed states, have heavy-water reactors. So does Israel, but it has never acknowledged having atomic weapons but is widely believed to have them. ABC with wires
NDTV
an hour ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Iran's Arak Reactor, Hit By Israeli Strike, Was Part Of Tehran's Nuclear Deal
Dubai: Much of the focus on Iran's nuclear program has been on Tehran's enrichment of uranium, but experts also keep a close watch on the Islamic Republic's Arak heavy water reactor. That's because the facility, some 250 kilometers (155 miles) southwest of Tehran, could produce plutonium, which can be used to make an atomic bomb. Israel pointed to just that concern when it launched airstrikes Thursday on the reactor, following its attacks on other Iranian nuclear sites, including the Nantanz enrichment facility, centrifuge workshops near Tehran, and laboratories in Isfahan. Iran acknowledged the strikes, saying at least two projectiles slammed into the compound, without giving any specifics about damage. Never online, the reactor had no uranium fuel and saw no nuclear release from the strike. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, has warned repeatedly that such sites - whether in Iran or Ukraine - should not be military targets. Arak grew out of Iran's onetime military nuclear program After Iran's devastating 1980s war with Iraq, it began a secret military program to seek a nuclear weapon and approached four nations to purchase a heavy water-moderated reactor. After getting turned down, Iran decided to build its own. Heavy water is water in which hydrogen is replaced by deuterium and is used as a coolant for heavy water reactors. The reactors can be used for scientific purposes, but plutonium is a byproduct of the process. Before the centrifuge technology that enriches uranium to levels high enough for use in weapons became widespread, many states used heavy water reactors to pursue plutonium-fueled bombs. India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed states, have heavy water reactors, as does Israel, which has never acknowledged having atomic weapons but is widely believed to have them. Though Iran ultimately embraced uranium-enriching centrifuges as the main driver of its program, it built the reactor, which never went online. Iran has long maintained its program is for peaceful purposes. However, it also had been enriching uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Iran was the only non-nuclear-weapon state to enrich at that level. Arak was part of Iran's nuclear deal with world powers Iran agreed under its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers to redesign the facility to alleviate proliferation concerns. That included pouring concrete into part of it, though the overall work never was completed. The Arak reactor became a point of contention after US President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018. Ali Akbar Salehi, a high-ranking nuclear official in Iran, claimed on Iranian state television in 2019 that Tehran bought extra parts to replace the portion of the reactor into which officials poured concrete. Due to restrictions Iran has imposed on inspectors, the IAEA has said it lost "continuity of knowledge" about Iran's heavy water production - meaning it could not absolutely verify Tehran's production and stockpile. Israeli strike likely heavily damaged the inert reactor On Thursday morning, Israel carried out an airstrike on the reactor. Black-and-white footage of the strike it released showed a bomb dropping on its dome and sending up a massive plume of fire and smoke. The U.N. nuclear watchdog noted that since it was not in operation and contained no nuclear material, there was no danger to the public after the strike from any "radiological effects." The IAEA said it had no information on whether the facility nearby where heavy water is produced had been hit. Israel's military said its fighter jets targeted the Arak facility and its reactor core seal to halt it from being used to produce plutonium. "The strike targeted the component intended for plutonium production, in order to prevent the reactor from being restored and used for nuclear weapons development," the Israelis said.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israeli strikes hit Iranian reactor being built, nearby plant, IAEA says
VIENNA (Reuters) -Israeli military strikes hit Iran's Khondab Heavy Water Research Reactor, a project under construction that had not begun operating, and damaged the nearby plant that makes heavy water, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Thursday. Israel has struck several nuclear facilities in Iran. The heavy water reactor as originally designed would have been able to easily produce plutonium that could eventually have been used in a nuclear weapon, though Iran denies seeking such weapons. Under a 2015 deal with major powers, however, the plant was redesigned to reduce the proliferation risk and its core was removed and filled with concrete. Iran had informed the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency the reactor would start operation in 2026. "IAEA has information the Khondab (former Arak) heavy water research reactor, under construction, was hit. It was not operational and contained no nuclear material, so no radiological effects," the IAEA said in a post on X. Heavy water reactors use heavy water, also known as deuterium oxide, as a moderator, a material that slows down fast-moving neutrons released during the nuclear fission process that generates heat in the reactor. In its first posting on the attack, the IAEA said it had no information indicating the nearby plant that produces heavy water had been hit. It later issued a statement revising that assessment. "While damage to the nearby Heavy Water Production Plant was initially not visible, it is now assessed that key buildings at the facility were damaged, including the distillation unit," the IAEA statement said.
CNN
3 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
Live updates: Israel and Iran trade strikes as Trump weighs US involvement
Update: Date: 5 min ago Title: UN nuclear watchdog findings are not a basis for military action, organization's head says Content: Evidence gathered on Iran's nuclear program by the International Atomic Energy Agency can 'hardly be a basis for any military action,' the organization's head said Thursday. 'Military action, from wherever it comes, is a political decision that has nothing to do with what we're saying,' Rafael Grossi told CNN's Anderson Cooper. After launching its first wave of strikes on Iran, Israel pointed to a recent IAEA report that acknowledged Iran is enriching uranium to a higher level than other countries without nuclear weapons programs, in violation of its nuclear non-proliferation obligations. But Grossi told Cooper there was no indication of a 'systematic program in Iran to produce a nuclear weapon.' This week, US President Donald Trump said he thought Iran was 'very close' to having a nuclear weapon. Israel would need US help to take out Iran's Fordow nuclear site, buried deep in the Iranian mountains, as only the US military has the massive 'bunker buster' bombs thought to be capable of effectively striking an underground target at such depths. Asked by Cooper whether he is concerned about the possible consequences of a US strike on Fordow, Grossi said 'diplomacy is the way forward.' 'Physical structures can be destroyed, but you cannot destroy knowledge. You cannot destroy technological advancements, advancements being made in a country,' Grossi said. Israel's military said it had killed nine Iranian nuclear scientists. Iran has acknowledged nuclear scientists were killed by Israel in the attack, without saying how many. Grossi this week rebuffed Iranian claims the IAEA has presented a 'misleading narrative' over its nuclear program and said the organization stood ready to 'closely monitor and assess the situation regarding the Israeli attacks on nuclear sites.' Update: Date: 5 min ago Title: Marches of "wrath" and "victory" planned across Iran for Friday Content: Iranians are being urged to take part in nationwide marches of 'wrath' and divine 'victory' on Friday, to demonstrate the nation's anger at Israel's strikes on it, according to Iranian media. People throughout Iran are expected to band together in support of its military forces in an 'outcry of the people's rage' against Israel, according to a poster for the nationwide event shared by the semi-official Tasnim news agency. The marches will take place after Friday prayers, a key weekly religious event for Muslims that often draws large crowds in Iran, especially during periods of heightened tension, and which Iran's Islamic regime frequently uses for political theatre. Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei often participates in Friday prayers in Tehran and has often used these appearances to express strong criticisms of the US, Israel and the West. But any public appearance by Khamanei could be risky for the Iranian leader. Israel has refused to rule out the possibility of targeting him, with defense minister Israel Katz saying on Thursday that Khamenei 'cannot continue to exist.' Update: Date: 5 min ago Title: Fire erupts near Microsoft office in Israel's Beer Sheva after Iranian attack Content: Emergency services in Israel are responding to fires in Beer Sheva after Israel's military said it intercepted an Iranian missile. Several fires can be seen burning in a street in the southern city, close to a tech park that houses a Microsoft office, according to video released by Israel's emergency services agency Magen David Adom. Israel Police said it had received reports of the fall of munitions in the country's Southern District in open areas, adding that there was property damage but no reports of casualties. Yesterday, a major hospital in Beer Sheva, the Soroka Medical Center, was damaged in an Iranian attack. Beer Sheva is in the Negev desert, where Israel's Nevatim airbase is located.
AsiaOne
3 hours ago
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Europeans try to coax Iran back to diplomacy, as Trump considers strikes, World News
GENEVA — European foreign ministers are set to meet their Iranian counterpart on Friday (June 20) aiming to create a pathway back to diplomacy over its contested nuclear programme despite the US actively considering joining Israeli strikes against Iran. Ministers from Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, as well as the European Union's foreign policy chief spoke to Abbas Araqchi earlier this week and have been coordinating with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In a rare call they pressed upon Araqchi the need to return to the negotiating table and avoid further escalation. At Iran's suggestion the two sides agreed to meet face-to-face. The talks will be held in Geneva, where an initial accord between Iran and world powers to curb its nuclear programme in return for sanctions lifting was struck in 2013 before a comprehensive deal in 2015. They come after negotiations between Iran and the United States collapsed when Israel launched what it called Operation Rising Lion against Iran's nuclear facilities and ballistic capabilities on June 12. "The Iranians can't sit down with the Americans whereas we can," said a European diplomat. "We will tell them to come back to the table to discuss the nuclear issue before the worst case scenario, while raising our concerns over its ballistic missiles, support to Russia and detention of our citizens." The European powers, who were not part of Iran's nuclear negotiations with the United States, had grown increasingly frustrated by the US negotiating strategy in the talks. They deemed some of the demands unrealistic, while fearing the possibility of a weak initial political framework that would lead to open-ended negotiations. Two diplomats said there were no great expectations for a breakthrough in Geneva, where the European Union's foreign policy chief will also attend. But they said it was vital to engage with Iran because once the war stopped, Iran's nuclear programme would still remain unresolved given that it would be impossible to eradicate the know-how acquired, leaving it potentially able to clandestinely rebuild its programme. An Iranian official said Tehran has always welcomed diplomacy, but urged the E3 to use all available means to pressure Israel to halt its attacks on Iran. "Iran remains committed to diplomacy as the only path to resolving disputes — but diplomacy is under attack," the official said. Prior to Israel's strikes the E3 and US put forward a resolution that was approved by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a UN watchdog, which declared Iran in breach of its nuclear non-proliferation obligations. As part of last week's IAEA resolution, European officials had said they could refer Iran to the United Nations Security Council later in the summer to add pressure on Iran if there was no progress in the nuclear talks. That would be separate to them reimposing UN sanctions, known as the snapback mechanism, before October 18 when the 2015 accord expires. The Europeans are the only ones who can launch the snapback mechanism, with diplomats saying the three countries had looked to set a final deadline at the end of August to launch it. "Iran has repeatedly stated that triggering snapback will have serious consequences," the Iranian official said. [[nid:719305]]
