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Telegraph
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Israel strikes Iranian nuclear reactor
Israel struck an Iranian reactor in the central city of Arak on Thursday in its latest efforts to destroy the regime's nuclear programme. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it targeted Iran's heavy water nuclear reactor, striking what it described as 'a key component in plutonium production'. A black-and-white video, circulated online by the IDF, showed a missile crashing into the target, followed by a large explosion. Both sides have been fighting for nearly a week since Israel launched attacks on Iranian nuclear sites and killed several top generals and nuclear scientists. On Thursday, Israel said its warplanes also struck a facility at Natanz, a key Iranian nuclear site, which was being used to develop nuclear weapons, a military spokesman said. 'The site houses unique components and equipment used for the development of nuclear weapons, and hosts projects that enable the acceleration of the nuclear weapons programme,' the IDF said. Earlier on Thursday, the IDF announced it had struck a nuclear site in Bushehr, which sits on the Gulf coast and is understood to be Iran's only operating power plant. The announcement caused concern among neighbouring Gulf states because of the contamination risk to the surrounding air and water. But Israel was forced to retract the statement admitting it had been a 'mistake'. When pushed, the spokesman said it could 'neither confirm nor deny' whether the reactor was attacked. Israel has said its goal for the war is to demolish Iran's nuclear programme, which the West fears is close to building a bomb. Some officials signalling that the attacks are also aimed at forcing the collapse of the Iranian regime, with possible US support in the near future. The Arak nuclear reactor has been a key feature of Iran's nuclear programme for decades, with Tehran insisting that it is only used for civilian purposes and not for the creation of nuclear bombs. Iran agreed in 2016 to remove the core of the Arak reactor and fill it up with concrete, under the now-defunct Iran nuclear deal, which eased sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbing the nuclear programme. The first Trump administration withdrew from the nuclear pact in 2018. In 2019, Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran's nuclear programme chief, said Tehran had replaced a calandria, a key component in the reactor, so that work on the programme could resume. The IDF said: 'The reactor is designed to produce high-yield plutonium, which would enable the acquisition of nuclear weapons. The attack was carried out against the component intended for producing plutonium, thus preventing its ability to be reused to produce nuclear weapons.' It added that it had also carried out overnight strikes involving 40 aircraft and 100 munitions against several Iranian military facilities. Later on Thursday, Zohar Palti, a former senior Mossad officer, said he believed Israel 'should declare victory' after successful attacks on most of Iran's nuclear sites. 'Now that Israel has succeeded in striking most of its nuclear targets in Iran, Israel has a window of two or three days to declare the victory and end the war,' he told The New York Times. Israel is rapidly burning through missile interceptors to counter Iranian attacks, and may have to make difficult decisions about which areas to prioritise for air defence if the war drags on at length, The New York Times report suggested.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Iran nuclear: No further damage seen at Iran sites, nuclear watchdog says
The head of the global nuclear watchdog says there has been no further damage to Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment plant since Israel struck the country's nuclear sites on Grossi told the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) board of governors that an above-ground enrichment facility at Natanz was destroyed, but that there were no signs of a physical attack at the underground facility buildings were also damaged at the Isfahan site, he said, including a uranium conversion plant, and no damage was visible at the underground Fordo enrichment said it attacked the sites and killed nine nuclear scientists to stop Iran developing nuclear weapons. It alleged that Iran had in recent months "taken steps to weaponize" its stockpile of enriched uranium, which can be used to make fuel for power plants but also nuclear Sunday, Iran reiterated that its nuclear programme was peaceful and urged IAEA's 35-nation board to strongly condemn the Israeli updates: Israeli strikes reported in Iranian capital as IDF warns people in parts of Tehran to evacuate'Nowhere feels safe': Iranians on life under Israeli attacksSatellite images show damage to Iran missile sites'They're weak': Israelis back conflict with Iran in neighbourhood struck by missileGrossi briefed the board on Monday that the IAEA had been monitoring the situation in Iran very carefully, ascertaining the status of the country's nuclear facilities and assessing radiation levels through communication with local said Friday's attack on Natanz destroyed the above-ground part of the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant (PFEP), where cascades of centrifuge were producing uranium enriched up to 60% purity - close to the 90% required for weapons-grade uraniumElectricity infrastructure at Natanz, which included an electrical sub-station, a power supply building, and emergency generators, were also destroyed."There has been no indication of a physical attack on the underground cascade hall containing part of the PFEP and the main Fuel Enrichment Plant. However, the loss of power to the cascade hall may have damaged the centrifuges there," Grossi also said there was radiological and chemical contamination at the site, but that the level of radioactivity outside had remained unchanged and at normal Israeli military said on Friday that the underground centrifuge hall was also damaged as part of the attack on Natanz, but it provided no evidence. The IAEA chief said four buildings were damaged in a separate attack on Friday on the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Centre - the central chemical laboratory, a uranium conversion plant, the Tehran reactor fuel manufacturing plant, and a facility to convert uranium hexafluoride to uranium metal, which was under at Natanz, off-site radiation levels remain unchanged, he Israeli military said on Friday that the Isfahan strike "dismantled a facility for producing metallic uranium, infrastructure for reconverting enriched uranium, laboratories, and additional infrastructure". On Saturday, Iran's semi-official Isna news agency quoted spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) as saying there was "limited damage to some areas at the Fordo enrichment site" following an Israeli attack. However, the Israeli military has not confirmed carrying out any strikes said no damage had been seen at Fordo, or at the Khondab heavy water reactor, which is under urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint, warning that military escalation threatened lives and increased the chance of a radiological release with serious consequences for people and the Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told foreign diplomats in Tehran on Saturday that Israel's attacks on his country's nuclear facilities were a "blatant violation of international law", and that he hoped the IAEA's board would issue a strong also said that Iran's missile strikes on Israel since Friday were a "response to aggression".The Israeli military's spokesperson, Brig Gen Effie Defrin said on Monday that its large-scale air campaign would "continue to act in pursuit of the operation's objective, to neutralize the existential threat from Iran, from its nuclear project to the regime's missile array".Iran's health ministry says Israeli strikes have killed more than 220 people since Friday. Twenty-four Israelis have been killed by Iranian missiles, according to Israeli Thursday, the IAEA's board formally declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in 20 years. A resolution said Iran's "many failures" to provide the agency with full answers about its undeclared nuclear material and nuclear activities constituted a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Iran was not permitted to enrich uranium above 3.67% purity - the level required for fuel for commercial nuclear power plants - and was not allowed to carry out any enrichment at Fordo for 15 US President Donald Trump abandoned the agreement during his first term in 2018, saying it did too little to stop a pathway to a bomb, and reinstated US retaliated by increasingly breaching the restrictions - particularly those relating to enrichment. It resumed enrichment at Fordo in 2021 and has amassed enough 60%-enriched uranium to potentially make nine nuclear bombs, according to the IAEA.
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Live updates: Iran attacks Israel with missile barrages; explosions reported in Tehran
Iran launched multiple waves of fresh missile barrages at Israel early Saturday, continuing exchanges between the two regional powers that began early Friday when Israel launched an attack that killed senior Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists. In the latest attacks, homes were damaged, two people were killed and more than a dozen injured in Rishon LeZion in central Israel, according to emergency services speaking to Israeli media. In Iran, semiofficial media reported explosions overnight in eastern Tehran and in the vicinity of the Mehrabad International Airport, in the capital. Iran unleashed a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel late Friday and early Saturday as it retaliated for the waves of Israeli strikes that killed top military leaders and nuclear scientists, and damaged a key uranium enrichment site. At least three people have been killed in Israel during Iranian missile barrages since Friday. Two people were killed in central Israel early Saturday and a woman who was injured in a suburb near Tel Aviv on Friday later died in a hospital, a spokesperson for Beilinson Hospital said.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
How Israeli strikes dealt a serious blow to Iran's nuclear ambitions
Israel's sweeping attack across Iran struck at the heart of Tehran's nuclear program, delivering a blow to the country's ability to enrich uranium and potentially setting its nuclear ambitions back by months or years. As well as killing key military figures and nuclear scientists, the Israeli strikes destroyed part of a plant that was enriching uranium to levels far beyond the requirements for nuclear-fueled power stations. The attacks also destroyed backup power for the underground section of the plant, potentially damaging more sensitive equipment. Iran's nuclear program has progressed rapidly since 2018, when the U.S. withdrew from a deal to limit Tehran's capacity to enrich uranium, which is necessary to build a nuclear weapon. Iran maintains that its program is peaceful, but the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly warned that the country has enough enriched uranium to make several nuclear bombs if it chose to do so. Nuclear regulators said the assault was unlikely to lead to increased levels of radiation, even at the site where part of the fuel-enrichment plant was destroyed. Here's a closer look at the attack and its likely effects on Iran's nuclear efforts. What impact will the attacks have on Iran's nuclear program? Israel killed top military figures and nuclear scientists and destroyed part of a key enrichment site. There is 'no question' it did substantial damage, said Fabian Hinz, an expert on Iran's nuclear program at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London. David Albright, a nuclear weapons expert, speculated that the initial wave of attacks could set back any Iranian attempt to develop a nuclear weapon by about a year. A key question, Hinz said, is whether Israel also targeted suppliers of specialist components such as centrifuges and subcontractors. Israel's strategy appears to be to 'destroy the brains' behind the program and 'as much equipment as possible,' said Albright, who agreed that Israel has potentially done a 'tremendous amount of damage' to the program. Israel is widely believed to be behind a series of attacks in recent years that targeted Iranian nuclear scientists and sabotaged nuclear facilities. What damage was done to Iran's nuclear facilities? Hinz suggested a key Israeli goal was to undermine Iran's ability to make centrifuges, which are critical for enriching uranium. Uranium enrichment is a key component of building a nuclear weapon, but weapons also require detonators and a means of delivery, like missiles. Iran has two uranium-enrichment sites, and the country said Wednesday that it has built and will activate a third enrichment facility. On Thursday, Israel struck Iran's main and oldest facility in Natanz, 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran, which was protected by anti-aircraft batteries, fencing and Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. The IAEA's chief, Rafael Grossi, told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday that the above-ground part of the plant where uranium was enriched up to 60% was destroyed, along with electrical infrastructure, including a substation, the main electric power supply building, the emergency power supply and backup generators. Grossi said there were no changes to radiation levels following the attack or any indication of damage to the underground section of the plant. That part of the facility is buried to protect it from airstrikes and contains the bulk of Natanz's enrichment facilities, with 10,000 centrifuges that enrich uranium up to 5%, Albright said. However, Grossi said, the loss of power may have damaged centrifuges. There is a good chance the strikes still caused 'massive damage," Hinz said because many of the centrifuges were probably operating at the time of the strike. Centrifuges, Albright said, 'don't like vibration," and the shock waves or loss of power could break delicate parts when they are rotating at high speed. What about the Fordo nuclear site? Most of Iran's centrifuges are in Natanz, the experts said, because a lot of them are required to enrich uranium to 5% — which is the maximum level normally used for nuclear-fueled power stations. But, buried under a huge mountain at Fordo, around 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Tehran, is another nuclear facility where Iran is also enriching uranium to 60%, which is only a short step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. According to the IAEA, Tehran has the largest number of its most powerful centrifuges at Fordo. An Iranian news outlet close to the government reported Friday that two explosions were heard near the Fordo site. But, while Israel could potentially hit the entrance to Fordo and temporarily block access, it is not believed to have the type of earth-penetrating bombs required to blow up the mountain and crack open the nuclear facility inside, Hinz said. That capacity lies with the U.S., which has developed a massive bomb that can be dropped only from large aircraft that Israel does not have in service, he said. The potential for more strikes loomed large. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the attacks will continue 'for as many days at it takes to remove this threat.' Hinz said the attacks showed Israeli intelligence had 'absolutely exceptional' knowledge of Iran's nuclear program and the ability to strike at key targets 'with precision.' That could mean Israel could sabotage the plant, rather than trying to blast the mountain open. Albright suggested Israel could try to cut off electricity to Fordo, which could lead to centrifuges breaking. Is there risk from radiation? Although Grossi said part of the enrichment facility at Natanz was destroyed, he noted that radiation levels had not spiked. Even if radiation did leak, experts said, the amount would be unlikely to pose a risk to people in the region or even those near the facilities that got hit. 'Very little uranium will be released in these kind of attacks,' Albright said. Uranium itself is not especially toxic, he said, and is common in parts of the environment. A person standing near an enrichment facility with a leak would probably be exposed to no more radiation than someone who took several transatlantic flights, which receive slightly higher radiation because radiation doses are larger at high altitudes, he said. In order to become sick, someone would have to ingest large quantities of uranium, Albright said, pointing out that the element can be found naturally in seawater and the earth's crust. Rather than radiation, the greater risk might be from fluorine, which is used to enrich uranium and could have been deadly to those nearby if released during an attack. Fluorine is mixed with the uranium during enrichment to turn it into a gas called uranium hexafluoride. It is extremely volatile, will quickly corrode and can burn the skin. It is especially deadly if inhaled. ___ The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Outrider Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. ___ Additional AP coverage of the nuclear landscape:
Bloomberg
6 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Netanyahu on Iran Missile Strike: ‘More Is on the Way'
00:00 We're in the midst of one of the greatest military operations in history. Operation Rising Line. In the past 24 hours, we've taken out top military commanders, senior nuclear scientists, the Islamic regime's most significant enrichment facility, and a large portion of its ballistic missile arsenal. More is on the way. The regime doesn't know what hit them. They don't know what will hit them.
