IAEA confirms damage to buildings at Irans Natanz nuclear facility

Damage Reported at Iran’s Natanz Nuclear Facility

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that damage has been inflicted on the entrance buildings of the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility in Iran, following recent attacks by the United States and Israel. The agency stated that no radiological consequences are expected as a result of the damage.

According to the IAEA, the facility was severely damaged during a 12-day conflict involving Israel and the US last year. The agency’s Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) is currently collecting information and assessing the situation, with no reported elevation of radiation levels above normal background levels in countries bordering Iran.

The Natanz nuclear enrichment facility is one of three uranium-enrichment plants operated by Iran, which were targeted during the previous conflict. Satellite imagery has shown two strikes on access points to the underground uranium enrichment plant at Natanz, according to a US-based think tank. The exact timing and perpetrators of these strikes are unclear.

The IAEA’s chief, Rafael Grossi, expressed concern over the ongoing conflict, while Iran’s envoy to the agency, Reza Najafi, denied reports that the facility had been damaged, calling them “a big lie”.

Source: Al Jazeera