DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Tensions have escalated following recent U.S. military actions as American forces launched strikes on three critical Iranian nuclear and military sites, marking a new chapter in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. President Donald Trump characterized the attacks targeting these complexes, including Natanz, Fordo, and Isfahan, as highly successful. Iran’s leading nuclear body acknowledged that these strikes, which occurred early Sunday, directly impacted each site.
This development comes after Israel launched preemptive attacks on June 13, targeting facilities in Iran. Israeli officials justified their actions, citing an imminent threat of Iran potentially developing nuclear weapons. Despite Iran’s long-standing assertion that its nuclear ambitions are solely peaceful, it has responded to Israeli aggression with its own series of missile and drone attacks on Israeli targets. Israel has continued its bombardment of Iranian sites in return.
Though the U.S. had previously engaged Iranian forces indirectly by defending Israel against aerial assaults, Saturday marked the first instance of direct attacks on Iranian infrastructure. Notably, discussions were ongoing between the U.S. and Iran, deliberating the possibility of lifting stringent American sanctions on Iran in return for significant limitations or cessation of its uranium enrichment.
Among the targets of the U.S. attacks was the Natanz enrichment facility, a prominent nuclear complex situated approximately 220 kilometers southeast of Tehran. Natanz had previously been targeted in Israeli airstrikes, which disrupted its operations. Reports suggest Israel destroyed key parts of the facility which were involved in enriching uranium to levels close to weapons-grade. This site has a notable underground section on Iran’s Central Plateau, engineered to withstand aerial bombardment. Despite significant damages to its centrifuges, the IAEA reported the site’s contamination did not extend to surrounding areas.
The Fordo enrichment facility, located roughly 100 kilometers southwest of Tehran, was another significant target. Unlike the expansive Natanz, Fordo’s importance lies in its fortified underground location, safeguarded by anti-aircraft defenses, rendering it resistant to all but the most advanced bunker-busting weaponry like the GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator used by U.S. forces.
In Isfahan, the U.S. targeted the strategic Nuclear Technology Center, home to a large number of nuclear scientists and multiple research reactors. Previous Israeli strikes had already damaged parts of this facility, though there have been no reported increases in radiation levels.
Iran possesses several additional nuclear sites untouched by the current wave of U.S. strikes. Notably, the nation’s sole commercial nuclear power plant is located in Bushehr, and the IAEA continues to monitor operations here as it relies on Russian-supplied uranium. Other noteworthy sites include the Arak heavy water reactor, which is crucial despite modifications to align with international proliferation standards, and the Tehran Research Reactor, central to Iran’s atomic agency.
While these developments further strain regional dynamics, the international community remains attentive to unfolding events, aware of the potential implications for global nuclear security.