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IAEA confirms Israel targets Iran's Natanz nuclear facility in Operation Rising Lion
Natanz is Iran’s nuclear facility located some 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran, and is the country’s main enrichment site.
The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed on Friday the Natanz reactor site was the target of Israeli strikes, among others. The UN nuclear watchdog confirmed Israeli strikes were targeting an Iranian uranium enrichment site, saying it was "closely monitoring the deeply concerning situation". In an X post on the official handle of the agency, International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi wrote:
“The IAEA is closely monitoring the deeply concerning situation in Iran. Agency can confirm the Natanz site among targets. The Agency is in contact with Iranian authorities regarding radiation levels. We are also in contact with our inspectors in the country.”
What is Natanz
Iran’s nuclear facility at Natanz is located some 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran, and is the country’s main enrichment site. Part of the facility on Iran’s Central Plateau is underground to defend against potential airstrikes. The Nantaz became a flashpoint in 2002, for Western fears about Iran’s nuclear program when satellite photos showed Iran building its underground centrifuges facility at the site. Earlier in 2010, the facility was targeted by the Stuxnet computer virus.
Israel on Friday said it targeted Iran's nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders as part of a ‘Operation Rising Lion’ which would be a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon. Iranian media and witnesses reported explosions across the country including the main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz. Israel meanwhile declared a state of emergency anticipating retaliatory missile and drone strikes from Iran. According to the state television as reported by Reuter, Hossein Salami, the chief of the elite Revolutionary Guards corps, had been killed and the unit's headquarters in Tehran had been hit. In a statement, Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Israel would suffer severe consequences after launching deadly attacks.
(With Inputs from agencies)
