Natanz nuclear site damaged in attack amid escalating Iran conflict; IAEA confirms

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Tuesday confirmed that Iran’s Natanz Nuclear facility has sustained damage, but stressed that there was no radiological impact from the incident.

“Based on the latest available satellite imagery, IAEA can now confirm some recent damage to entrance buildings of Iran's underground Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP). No radiological consequence expected and no additional impact detected at FEP itself, which was severely damaged in the June conflict,” the agency said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

The damage follows strikes on Monday by a combined US-Israeli force, which, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), targeted Natanz and severely damaged at least three buildings. The attacks aimed to degrade Iranian air defences and maintain air superiority over western Iran and Tehran.

“The combined force struck the Natanz Nuclear Facility in Esfahan Province on 2 March, marking the first attack on an Iranian nuclear site since the start of the US-Israeli campaign on 28 February,” ISW said. It also noted that other strikes targeted internal security sites responsible for suppressing protests and disseminating regime propaganda.

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Meanwhile, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said on Tuesday that the Iranian Regime’s Leadership Compound, one of the country’s most secure headquarters, had been dismantled. “This command headquarters housed the regime’s most senior forum and was struck by the IAF overnight using precise intelligence. The leaders behind this terror regime, and the headquarters in which they sat, have been eliminated,” the IDF stated.

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News that the strikes were urgently necessary because Iran is constructing new underground sites to shield its missile and nuclear programmes. He warned that failure to act now would allow these facilities to render Iran’s atomic and ballistic missile programmes immune within months.

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Netanyahu added that the conflict would be “quick and decisive” and claimed that Iran’s regime was at its weakest point, asserting that an “endless war” would be avoided.

As the conflict enters its third day, the international community has called for dialogue, but uncertainty remains over whether either side is willing to halt hostilities.