TEHRAN (Palestine Foundation Information Center) The Iranian Atomic Energy Organization announced that it had recorded radiation contamination inside the Natanz facility, which was attacked by Israel on Friday. However, it stated that there was no contamination outside the facility and that there is no cause for concern.
The organization added, “We need to clean up the radiation inside the Natanz facility and then assess the damage.”
Iran confirmed on Friday that Natanz was among the targets hit in the Israeli airstrike.
Earlier, Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said the agency is closely monitoring the “very worrying situation in Iran” and confirmed that the Natanz nuclear facility was one of the targets.
He noted that the IAEA is in communication with Iranian authorities regarding radiation levels and is also in contact with the agency’s inspectors inside the country.
The Natanz nuclear reactor is Iran’s main uranium enrichment facility. It is located in Isfahan Province, about 220 kilometers southeast of the capital, Tehran. Iran began building it in secret, and it was revealed in 2002. It is designed to house tens of thousands of centrifuges.
The facility covers an area of approximately 2.7 square kilometers and was built 8 meters underground. It is surrounded by a 2.5-meter-thick concrete wall and protected by an air defense system, barbed wire, and Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces.
Since 2010, the reactor has been subjected to a series of attacks attributed to Israel, including cyberattacks, bombings, and sabotage of its electrical systems.
In addition to Natanz, reports indicate that other nuclear facilities were targeted. Israeli sources and media outlets reported airstrikes on a nuclear research center near Tabriz in northwestern Iran. The Tabriz site is believed to be a research reactor. The IAEA confirmed that Iranian authorities informed the agency that the Bushehr nuclear reactor was not targeted.
Unconfirmed rumors have also circulated about the Fordow enrichment facility near the city of Qom. However, there has been no official confirmation that Fordow was targeted. It is one of Iran’s two main enrichment sites and is heavily fortified. Official statements have focused on Natanz, suggesting it bore the brunt of the attack.
