World Desk

The United States has launched strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear and military facilities, escalating its involvement in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

President Donald Trump confirmed that U.S. forces had carried out a “very successful” operation targeting the Natanz, Fordo, and Isfahan sites — with the Fordo facility being the primary objective. Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization later confirmed that all three locations were hit in early Sunday attacks.

The strikes came after Israel conducted a surprise attack on multiple Iranian sites on June 13, claiming the move was necessary to prevent what it described as an imminent Iranian attempt to develop nuclear weapons. In response, Iran has launched waves of drone and missile strikes against Israeli targets, while Israeli forces have continued operations inside Iran.

Until this point, Washington had only assisted by intercepting Iranian attacks on Israel. However, the U.S. had also been involved in diplomatic efforts that included discussions to potentially ease economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for limiting or halting its uranium enrichment program.

Here is a closer look at the significance of the targeted sites:

Natanz Enrichment Facility

Located around 220 kilometers southeast of Tehran, Natanz is Iran’s primary uranium enrichment center. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), uranium at Natanz had been enriched up to 60% purity — a level below weapons-grade but still of serious concern — before the aboveground part of the site was destroyed by Israeli strikes.

The facility includes both aboveground and underground components, the latter built into Iran’s Central Plateau to resist airstrikes. It houses cascades of centrifuges that work together to accelerate uranium enrichment. The IAEA believes most of these centrifuges were destroyed when a strike cut off power to the site. While radioactive contamination was contained within the site, it did not spread to the surrounding environment, according to the agency.

Iran has also been digging into the nearby Kūh-e Kolang Gaz Lā (Pickax Mountain) for further fortification. The site has previously been hit by cyberattacks — such as the Stuxnet virus, believed to be developed by the U.S. and Israel — and two additional attacks attributed to Israel.

Fordo Enrichment Facility
Situated roughly 100 kilometers southwest of Tehran, the Fordo facility is smaller than Natanz but strategically important. Construction is believed to have started by 2007, although Iran only disclosed the site to the IAEA in 2009 after Western intelligence agencies had already discovered it.

Built deep under a mountain and shielded by air defenses, Fordo is hardened against conventional airstrikes. Military analysts have said that only “bunker buster” bombs, like the U.S. GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator, would be capable of reaching its depths. This 30,000-pound precision-guided bomb is designed to destroy reinforced underground facilities.

Only the U.S. Air Force’s B-2 Spirit stealth bomber — manufactured by Northrop Grumman — is equipped to deploy this type of bomb, meaning Washington’s direct involvement would be necessary for such a strike.

Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center
Located about 350 kilometers southeast of Tehran, the Isfahan facility hosts thousands of nuclear scientists and houses three Chinese-designed research reactors, as well as several nuclear-related laboratories.

Israeli forces previously targeted various buildings at this site, including a uranium conversion facility. The IAEA has stated that there was no evidence of radiation leakage following the strike.

Other Iranian Nuclear Facilities
Although not targeted in the latest U.S. strikes, Iran operates several other important nuclear sites.

Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant: Located on the Persian Gulf about 750 kilometers south of Tehran, this is Iran’s only commercial reactor. It runs on Russian-supplied fuel and is under IAEA monitoring. Two additional reactors are currently under construction at the site.

Arak Heavy Water Reactor: Found 250 kilometers southwest of Tehran, this facility uses heavy water for cooling, which can produce weapons-grade plutonium as a byproduct. Under the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran agreed to redesign the reactor to ease proliferation concerns.

Tehran Research Reactor: Based at the headquarters of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, this reactor initially used highly enriched uranium but was later converted to run on low-enriched fuel due to non-proliferation efforts.