Israel attacks Iran: Which nuclear facilities were hit

Israel attacked more than 100 targets in Iran overnight into Friday with about 200 warplanes, according to military sources. High-ranking officers and leading nuclear scientists were killed, and military facilities and nuclear industry sites were hit.

In particular, the strikes against the Iranian nuclear program are of strategic importance from Israel's perspective: Israel sees them as an existential threat, as they could enable Iran to develop nuclear weapons .

According to current information, the nuclear facilities attacked included the Natanz enrichment facility, considered the core of Iran's nuclear program, as well as the Arak heavy water reactor and the Parchin nuclear complex. Tehran itself was targeted, and the city of Qom, site of the Fordow facility, was also attacked. The extent of the damage in each case is still unclear.

Iran has spread its nuclear facilities across a number of locations, some of them in underground bunkers, making them more difficult to destroy completely—and some facilities have apparently been spared.

Here is an overview of the facilities:

Natanz: Located approximately 300 kilometers south of Tehran in Isfahan Province, Natanz is the main uranium enrichment center in Iran. Centrifuges operate there to enrich uranium for civilian and potentially military purposes. The facility is housed in underground bunkers to protect it from airstrikes. Natanz has been the target of several acts of sabotage attributed to Israel, including the use of the Stuxnet virus, explosions, and power outages.

Isfahan: The Nuclear Technology Center in the city of Isfahan is a uranium processing facility that prepares the radioactive material for enrichment. Here, uranium oxide, also known as "yellowcake," is converted into uranium tetrafluoride (UF4) and uranium hexafluoride (UF6). This chemical compound is used in centrifuges for uranium enrichment.

Saghand: This uranium mine is located in the desert region of Yazd Province, about 200 kilometers northeast of the city of Yazd. The mine is one of the few known uranium mining sites in Iran and supplies the raw uranium used in the country's nuclear program.

Bushehr: Iran's first civilian nuclear power plant is located on the Persian Gulf coast in southern Iran and is used to generate electricity. The plant was built with Russian assistance and began operation in September 2011. It serves non-military purposes.

Tehran: The Tehran Research Reactor (TRR) is a research reactor in Tehran and is primarily used to produce medical radioisotopes used in cancer treatment and nuclear medicine diagnostics. The TRR played a key role during the negotiations for the nuclear deal, as it could be used not only for medical purposes but also potentially for military applications if highly enriched uranium were used.

Parcines: This facility, located about 30 kilometers southeast of Tehran, officially serves as a testing ground for conventional weapons and missiles. However, there are reports that suggest that activities related to the development of nuclear weapons may also be taking place at Parcines.

Karaj: Near the city of Karaj, about 40 kilometers west of Tehran, is a research center for nuclear technologies in agriculture and medicine. Reports suggest that this facility could also be used to produce and develop centrifuges for uranium enrichment. In June 2021, the facility was the target of a sabotage attempt, which, according to Iranian sources, was unsuccessful.

Qom: The Fordow facility is located approximately 160 kilometers south of Tehran, near the city of Qom. It is housed in a mountain to protect it from air raids. Highly enriched uranium is produced here.

Arak: In the city of Arak, about 240 kilometers west of Tehran, there is a heavy water reactor. This reactor could produce plutonium suitable for building nuclear weapons. However, following the 2015 nuclear deal, the reactor was at least temporarily modified to rule out this possibility.

(with dpa) This article was updated after the Israeli attack on Iran on June 13, 2025.