Israel’s Airstrikes Damaged Surface Buildings, Not Core of Iran’s Nuclear Sites, IAEA Confirms

Tone & Political Bias: Center-Leaning

Why: The reporting is rooted in official IAEA statements and satellite imagery with limited editorial framing or political interpretation.

IAEA Says No New Damage Since Friday

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, confirmed on Monday that there has been no further damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities since Israel's airstrikes began on Friday.

Grossi stated that while buildings above ground at Natanz were hit and destroyed, there was no physical damage to the underground enrichment halls at the site.

These halls contain parts of both the pilot fuel enrichment plant and the main enrichment facility.

“There has been no additional damage at the Natanz fuel enrichment plant site since the Friday attack,” Grossi said during a board of governors' meeting.

Underground Sites at Natanz and Fordow Remain Intact

According to Grossi, key underground areas at Natanz appear untouched despite Israeli military claims that the attack affected underground facilities. Satellite images confirm above-ground destruction but offer no visibility into underground structures.

The second enrichment site, Fordow—deeply buried under 80 to 90 meters of rock—was reportedly targeted by Israel but did not suffer any visible damage, Grossi added.

Israel Claims Strike Was Pre-emptive

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the airstrike was aimed at halting what he described as a covert Iranian nuclear weapons program. He claimed Iran was working to enrich uranium to 90%, the level required for nuclear warheads.

The IAEA previously stated Iran holds approximately 408.6 kg of uranium enriched to 60% purity—technically below weapons-grade but significantly closer than the 3.67% limit under the 2015 nuclear deal. If further enriched, this material could yield enough for up to nine warheads.

Infrastructure and Radiation Risks at Natanz

While the underground cascade hall was not directly hit, electrical infrastructure at the Natanz site—including a substation and key power lines—was destroyed. Grossi noted this could result in indirect damage to sensitive centrifuges inside the cascade hall due to power loss.

Additionally, there are concerns about contamination at the site. Grossi warned of “both radiological and chemical contamination,” possibly caused by the dispersal of uranium isotopes within the facility. He emphasized that the primary radiological risk stems from alpha particle radiation, which is hazardous only if inhaled or ingested.

“The risk could be managed with protective equipment,” he added, suggesting the situation remains under control.

Facility Layout: Depth Matters

The Natanz site includes two distinct enrichment facilities:

• Main Fuel Enrichment Plant: Located approximately 8–12 meters underground and reinforced against most conventional weapons.

• Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant: Situated partly above ground and more exposed to airstrikes. This is the part visibly damaged in the attack.

  
  

According to military analysts, destroying the main site would require Israel’s heaviest munitions, such as 1.8-tonne Rocks missiles or 1.6-tonne Air Lora missiles, and likely multiple strikes.

Fordow’s deeper location makes it resistant even to those Israeli weapons, requiring U.S. GBU 57/B bunker-buster bombs for destruction—bombs that can only be delivered by a B-2 stealth bomber.

Other Sites: Isfahan Damaged, Bushehr Unharmed

The IAEA said Israel also targeted a nuclear research facility in Isfahan. Four buildings were damaged, including a uranium conversion plant and a chemical laboratory. However, Iran’s civilian nuclear reactor at Bushehr was not attacked.

Summary

Despite Israel’s claim of targeting Iran’s underground nuclear infrastructure, the IAEA says only surface-level buildings have been damaged so far. Iran’s two major enrichment sites—Natanz and Fordow—remain operational at their underground cores, though indirect damage and contamination risks at Natanz are being monitored.