An Israeli airstrike on Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility resulted in damage to above-ground buildings and electrical systems, as well as damage to some 15,000 centrifuges in the underground cascade halls due to power outages. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed the risk of alpha radiation contamination and chemical toxicity inside the facility, but emphasized that the contamination “can be controlled through appropriate measures.” Follow-up satellite imagery showed that the underground structure at Natanz had not completely collapsed, and that Iran retained decentralized nuclear facilities and stocks of enriched uranium that could theoretically be restored to productive capacity in a matter of weeks. The attack comes at a sensitive time when Iran is threatening to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, and the IAEA has warned of the potential threat to fisheries resources and coral reef ecosystems in the Gulf of Oman as a result of the conflict, which could set off a chain reaction of radioactive leaks and regional nuclear proliferation.
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