Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 17, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleIAEA confirms Israeli strike directly hit Iran's Natanz nuclear plant, revising earlier reports. Satellite imagery shows significant damage.
VIENNA (Reuters) -An Israeli military strike on Iran's nuclear complex at Natanz directly hit the underground uranium enrichment plant there, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Tuesday, revising its assessment after initially reporting it had been hit only indirectly.
Since Israel's launched wide-ranging attacks on Iran on Friday, the International Atomic Energy Agency has been providing updates on its assessment of the damage to nuclear sites, although it has not been able to carry out inspections.
The IAEA had previously said an above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz was destroyed but the larger underground plant was not directly hit, although IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said on Monday its centrifuges had very likely been badly damaged by a strike on the plant's power supply.
However, on Tuesday it said on X: "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."
It said there was "no change to report" at Iran's two other major nuclear sites, Isfahan and Fordow.
Grossi had said on Monday there was little or no apparent damage at Fordow, where Iran has enriched uranium up to 60%, close to the 90% weapons grade, at a plant dug deep into a mountain.
At the Isfahan nuclear complex, several facilities were destroyed, including Iran's plant that converted uranium into a form into which it could be fed into centrifuges for enrichment, the IAEA has reported.
(Reporting by Francois MurphyEditing by Peter Graff)
The IAEA stated that an Israeli military strike directly hit the underground uranium enrichment plant at Natanz, revising its earlier assessment.
The IAEA has been providing updates on the damage to nuclear sites in Iran, indicating that additional elements suggest direct impact on the underground plant.
The IAEA reported no change at Iran's other major nuclear sites, Isfahan and Fordow, although some facilities at Isfahan were destroyed.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi mentioned that there was little or no apparent damage at Fordow, where uranium has been enriched up to 60%.
Several facilities were destroyed at the Isfahan nuclear complex, including the plant that converts uranium into a form suitable for centrifuge enrichment.
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