Israel Attacks Iran's Nuclear Facilities to Prevent Threats

• Israel has attacked Iranian nuclear facilities to prevent the threat of nuclear weapons.
• Iran plans to expand its nuclear program despite international pressure.
• Negotiations between the US and Iran regarding the lifting of sanctions continue amid rising tensions.

This was reported by Associated Press, The Independent.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates — Israel struck several Iranian nuclear and military sites on Friday as tensions escalated due to the rapid development of Tehran's nuclear program. Israeli leaders claimed that the attack was necessary to prevent what they described as an urgent threat — the possibility of Iran building a nuclear bomb. Iran has long maintained that its program is peaceful, and US intelligence assesses that Tehran is not pursuing this goal.

The attack occurred a day after the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency condemned Iran for failing to comply with cooperation demands from inspectors for the first time in 20 years. Iran immediately announced its intention to create a third enrichment facility in the country and to replace some centrifuges with more modern ones.

The US and Iran have been in negotiations that could lead to the lifting of some economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for significant restrictions or a halt to uranium enrichment.

Here are some key Iranian facilities and their significance to Tehran's program.

Enrichment Facility in Natanz

Iran's nuclear facility in Natanz, located about 220 kilometers southeast of Tehran, is the country's primary enrichment site. Part of the facility is underground to protect it from potential airstrikes. Several cascades, or groups of centrifuges, operate here together for faster uranium enrichment.

Iran is also conducting work in the Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La mountains, which are south of the Natanz fence. Natanz has already been attacked, including by the Stuxnet virus, which is believed to have been created by Israel and the US, and which destroyed Iranian centrifuges. Additionally, two separate attacks attributed to Israel have struck the facility.

Enrichment Facility in Fordow

Iran's nuclear facility in Fordow is located about 100 kilometers southwest of Tehran. It also has cascades of centrifuges but is smaller than Natanz. Fordow is built into a mountain and protected by anti-aircraft batteries, making it capable of withstanding airstrikes.

Construction of the facility began no later than 2007, although Iran only informed the International Atomic Energy Agency of its existence in 2009 after it was discovered by the US and Western intelligence agencies.

Nuclear Power Plant in Bushehr

Iran's only commercial nuclear power plant is located in Bushehr on the Persian Gulf, 750 kilometers south of Tehran. Construction on the plant began during the reign of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in the mid-1970s. After the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the plant was attacked during the Iran-Iraq War. Russia later completed the construction of the facility.

Iran is building two more similar reactors at this site. Bushehr operates on uranium produced in Russia, not in Iran, and is under the control of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Heavy Water Reactor in Arak

The heavy water reactor in Arak is located 250 kilometers southwest of Tehran. Heavy water helps cool nuclear reactors but produces plutonium as a byproduct, which could potentially be used in nuclear weapons. This gives Iran another route to creating a bomb if it decides to pursue that goal. Iran agreed as part of the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers to redesign the facility to alleviate proliferation concerns.

Nuclear Technology Center in Isfahan

The facility in Isfahan, located 350 kilometers southeast of Tehran, has thousands of nuclear scientists. It also houses three Chinese research reactors and laboratories related to the country's atomic program.

Research Reactor in Tehran

The research reactor in Tehran is located at the headquarters of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, the civilian body that oversees the country's atomic program. The US provided this reactor to Iran in 1967 under the "Atoms for Peace" program during the Cold War. Initially, it required highly enriched uranium, but it was later upgraded to use low-enriched uranium due to proliferation concerns.

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