Israeli airstrikes have severely impacted Iran's nuclear program, reportedly destroying centrifuges at the Natanz facility and damaging the Isfahan complex. The deeply buried Fordow site remains untouched, but the Arak heavy water reactor was targeted after an evacuation. Tensions are escalating as Iran vows retaliation for the attacks on its assets.
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Israeli airstrikes on Iran's nuclear assets and the subsequent fallout.
Uranium enrichment is the most sensitive part of Iran's nuclear program because enriched uranium can be used to fuel nuclear power plants but also, at very high levels of purity, to create the core of a nuclear weapon.
About Natanz
Located in central Iran, Natanz is the country's largest and most critical uranium enrichment facility. It has been a main target in the recent Israeli offensive.
Natanz harbours underground halls containing thousands of centrifuges. These machines spin uranium hexafluoride gas at high speeds to separate the more fissile U-235 isotope, a process known as enrichment. The facility is crucial for producing enriched uranium, which can be used for both civilian power generation and, at higher purities, for nuclear weapons.
Satellite imagery and reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirm damage to the Natanz facility following Israeli strikes.
About Arak (Khondab)
The Arak heavy water reactor, now officially named Khondab, represents an alternative route to a nuclear weapon by producing plutonium.
Byproduct of Heavy water reactors is plutonium, which can be separated from spent reactor fuel and used as the fissile core of a nuclear bomb. Under the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran had agreed to redesign the reactor to minimize its plutonium production capabilities, and its core was filled with concrete.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that they had struck the Arak facility. The attack targeted the reactor's "core seal," a component for plutonium production, and also damaged the adjacent heavy water production plant.
About Isfahan
Isfahan is home to several facilities, including a Uranium Conversion Facility (UCF). This is where "yellowcake" (uranium ore concentrate) is converted into uranium hexafluoride (UF6) gas, the feedstock for the centrifuges at Natanz.
The Isfahan Nuclear Technology Centre was among the sites targeted in the recent wave of Israeli attacks.
About Fordow
Built deep inside a mountain to protect it from aerial attack, the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant is another key enrichment facility, though smaller than Natanz.
Due to its heavily fortified nature, Fordow has been a major source of international concern. It is used for enriching uranium to higher levels.
As of the latest available reports, there is no public information suggesting that the Fordow facility has been struck in the Israeli air campaign.
Kermanshah and Tabriz: Missile bases near these western cities have seen extensive damage, including to tunnel entrances likely used for storing sensitive equipment.
Shiraz: A missile production facility in Shiraz was also reported as a target.
Sanjarian: Satellite imagery has shown the destruction of a facility at this location.
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q. Consider the following countries: 1. Armenia 2. Azerbaijan 3. Turkmenistan 4. Kazakhstan How many of the above countries share borders with Iran? A) Only one B) Only two C) Only three D) All four Answer: D Explanation: Iran shares a northern border with Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan. Kazakhstan and Russia are direct neighbors to the north. Iran shares borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east, Iraq to the west, Turkey to the northwest, and the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman to the south. |
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