Israeli air strikes have hit two Iranian nuclear sites, marking a major escalation against Iran’s nuclear program , hours after Israel warned it would expand its offensive to new targets. The Israeli military confirmed its air force struck the Khondab Heavy Water Complex near Arak in central Iran.
The IDF said Iran had been rebuilding the facility since it was damaged during last June’s conflict and accused Tehran of deliberately avoiding commitments to convert the reactor so it could not produce weapons-grade plutonium. No casualties or radiation risk was reported.
In a separate strike, a yellowcake production plant in Ardakan, Yazd Province, the only facility of its kind in Iran, was also hit. Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation confirmed the attack, reporting no radioactive leaks. The IAEA says it has been informed of the strike, and Director General Rafael Grossi is calling for military restraint to prevent any risk of a nuclear accident.
For context: yellowcake is a concentrated uranium compound used in the early stages of nuclear fuel processing, while heavy water is used as a moderator in certain nuclear reactors. Also on Friday, Iran reported casualties at industrial targets, one worker killed at a steel plant in Isfahan, and separate strikes on a cement facility in Firuzabad. Israel says its campaign will continue to escalate.