Israel’s military has confirmed it carried out airstrikes targeting Iran’s Arak heavy water nuclear reactor overnight, signifying a major escalation in the ongoing conflict between the two nations. An official statement indicated that Israeli fighter jets struck dozens of sites across Iran, including what were described as key nuclear and missile production facilities.
Among the primary targets was the IR-40 reactor, a 40-megawatt thermal heavy water facility located near Arak and part of Iran’s nuclear complex. The Israeli military claimed to have specifically aimed for “the structure of the reactor’s core seal,” a critical component for the production of plutonium, which could potentially be used in nuclear weapons.
The statement also detailed strikes on a “nuclear weapons development site” in Natanz and several factories involved in manufacturing components for ballistic missiles.
Iranian state television confirmed the strike on the Arak site but asserted there was “no radiation danger whatsoever.” The report added that the facility had been evacuated in advance, following Israel’s public warning earlier in the day advising residents near the site to leave the area.
Construction of the Arak reactor commenced in 2004, with initial plans for operations to begin in 2014. Despite delays pushing back its full activation, Tehran recently notified the UN nuclear watchdog of its intention to begin operating the facility by next year.
This latest development emerges amidst rising hostilities and follows days of cross-border attacks and airstrikes exchanged between the two countries. The international community has expressed increasing concern over the potential for wider regional destabilization.
