Iran Nuclear Facility Destroyed in Oct Israel Strike: Report

Israeli’s airstrike on Iran last month has reportedly destroyed a top-secret Iranian nuclear research facility at Parchin, which lies 19 miles south-east of the country’s capital, Tehran, according to multiple sources within U.S. and Israeli intelligence.

The Oct. 25 strike targeted the Taleghan 2 facility, Axios reported. It is a site previously thought to be inactive, but which had been revived for use in secret nuclear weapons research.

If confirmed, the attack marks a sharp escalation in Israel’s ongoing campaign against Iran’s nuclear program, with officials describing the facility as a key node in Iran’s effort to develop the technology needed for nuclear weaponization.

A State Department spokesperson told Newsweek: “Iran should not respond to Israel’s retaliation. If it chooses to do so, we will support Israel in defending itself. The United States’ message for Iran is clear: should it choose to undertake further attacks against Israel or U.S. personnel in the region, there will be consequences.”

Newsweek contacted the Israeli and Iranian governments via email for comment on Friday morning.

Did Israel’s Attack on Iran Set Back its Nuclear Programme?

According to Axios, U.S. and Israeli officials confirmed that the facility housed critical equipment used in designing explosive charges that would be necessary to detonate uranium in a nuclear device.

If that is the case, the attack will be seen as a blow to Iran’s efforts over the past year to resume nuclear weapons research, despite Tehran’s repeated denials that it is pursuing such capabilities.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reinforced the government’s stance, declaring last week that “Iran is not after nuclear weapons, period.”

The Taleghan 2 facility had been part of Iran’s once-active Amad nuclear weapons program, which Tehran halted in 2003.

The complex has long been suspected of harboring sensitive nuclear activities.

What is Iran’s Taleghan 2 facility?

Satellite imagery analyzed by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) confirmed that the building was entirely destroyed in the Israeli strike, Axios reported.

Earlier this year, U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies began tracking renewed activity at Parchin, including computer modeling, metallurgy research, and explosive tests—all critical to developing a nuclear weapon.

The strike occurred amidst rising tensions between Israel and Iran, particularly after a series of Iranian missile attacks in early October.

In a rare public intervention, President Joe Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off on targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, fearing that such an attack could trigger a broader regional conflict.

Why is the IAEA Putting Pressure on Iran?

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s board of governors is set to convene next week to vote on a resolution censuring Iran for its failure to fully cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog.

The UN nuclear watchdog chief warned Thursday that time for diplomacy on Iran’s nuclear program is “getting smaller,” as Tehran’s uranium enrichment advances.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was visiting the capital in an effort to restore his inspectors’ access to Iran’s plans.

Iran placed limitations on the world’s leading nuclear peace organization in early 2021.

This action followed a law passed by the Iranian parliament in December 2020, which mandated a reduction in compliance with the IAEA’s monitoring activities if sanctions against Iran were not lifted.

Grossi spoke about the urgency of resolving questions over increasingly murky territory.

“We know that it is indispensable to get, at this point of time, some concrete, tangible and visible results that will indicate that this joint work is improving (the) situation,” he said at a press conference.

Flanked by Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Grossi stressed only “clarification” can shift nations from “conflict and ultimately war.”