IAEA reverses stance, confirms damage at Iran's Natanz nuclear site following Israel-US strikes
IAEA confirms damage at Natanz entrance, citing satellite imagery, after previous claims that the site escaped recent strikes.
The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed on Tuesday that satellite imagery shows recent damage to Iran’s Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant, withdrawing its statement a day earlier that the facility hadn’t been hit.
“Based on the latest available satellite imagery, the IAEA can now confirm some recent damage to the entrance buildings of Iran’s underground Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP),” the IAEA said in a statement on X social media platform.
The IAEA also added that no radiological consequences are expected, and the core facilities of Natanz have not suffered additional impacts.
Earlier on Monday, the UN nuclear watchdog head Rafael Grossi had said there is “no indication” that any Iranian nuclear installations were hit following US and Israeli strikes on the country.
Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, earlier stated that the Natanz site was hit in the joint Israel-US attacks, but did not provide further details.
Najafi denounced US accusations of Iran seeking a nuclear bomb as a pretext to justify attacks and invasion.
"The head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran yesterday sent a letter to the director general and informed him that the Natanz nuclear facilities, which are a safeguarded facility, have been attacked during this aggression," he said.
A series of US and Israeli strikes in a 12-day war last June damaged key Iranian nuclear facilities, including Natanz, halting IAEA access to inspectors.
Currently, no agency inspectors are present in Iran, Grossi said, adding that discussions with Tehran have been “very limited” since the attacks.