The United Nations nuclear watchdog has confirmed that Israeli airstrikes overnight destroyed three buildings at two separate Iranian centrifuge production facilities.
In a brief statement posted on X, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said, "The IAEA has information that two centrifuge production facilities in Iran, the TESA Karaj workshop and the Tehran Research Center, were hit. Both sites were previously under IAEA monitoring and verification as part of the (2015 nuclear deal) JCPOA."
It noted that at the Tehran site, one building was hit where advanced centrifuge rotors were manufactured and tested. At Karaj, two buildings were destroyed where different centrifuge components were manufactured.
Precision strikes on nuclear supply chain
The TESA complex, situated on the outskirts of Karaj, west of the capital, housed specialised workshops that build key parts for IR‑6 and IR‑9 centrifuges -- machines capable of enriching uranium far faster than earlier models. In 2021, Iran blamed Israel for a sabotage blast that knocked out the plant’s CCTV network; the latest attack appears to have levelled two production halls entirely.
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Roughly 40 km away, a single building inside the Tehran Nuclear Research Center -- where finished rotors are usually assembled and stress‑tested -- was struck. Satellite imagery reviewed by independent analysts on Wednesday showed a collapsed roof and scorching, suggesting the use of low‑yield, precision‑guided munitions.
Israel’s declared goal: cripple Iran’s nuclear capacity
Israeli officials have not publicly detailed the strikes, but the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said earlier in the day that “dozens of Iranian nuclear and military sites” were targeted overnight as part of Operation Rising Lion, aimed at “rolling back” Tehran’s weapons ambitions.
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Israel has long accused Iran of covertly seeking a nuclear bomb -- an allegation Iran denies, insisting its programme is for civilian energy.
Iran will respond firmly if US becomes involved
Meanwhile, Iran has conveyed to Washington that it will respond firmly to the United States if it becomes directly involved in Israel's military campaign, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said on Wednesday.
Ali Bahreini told reporters that he saw the US as "complicit in what Israel is doing". Iran would set a red line, and respond if the United States crosses it, he said, without specifying what actions would provoke a response.
Tensions in the Middle East escalated sharply on Wednesday as Iran warned that any United States intervention in its conflict with Israel could trigger a full-scale regional war. The warning came as both nations exchanged fire for the sixth consecutive day.
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Speaking to Al Jazeera, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated, “Any American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region.”
He emphasized: “We have very good relations with Arab countries, and they are very cognisant of the fact that Israel has been trying to drag others into the war. … We are sure our Arab countries hosting US bases would not allow their territory to be used against their Muslim neighbours,” he added.
