Israeli attack leaves radioactive trail in Natanz; Iranian authorities respond

Following the Israeli bombing of several strategic Iranian facilities on Thursday, June 12, Iran's Atomic Energy Organization confirmed this Friday the presence of radioactive contamination inside the Natanz nuclear complex, one of the main centers of Iran's atomic program.

In a statement released by state media and reported by Al Jazeera , the institution said that although radiation levels were recorded inside the facilities, there is no evidence of leakage to the outside or risk to the population .

"We need to clean up the radiation inside the Natanz facility and then assess the damage," the Iranian official said, stressing that the damage was local and there were no human casualties.

The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami , stated that the plant's safety systems worked properly, containing the impact. "We didn't suffer serious damage, thank God. We are currently assessing the damage in detail," he said.

The situation was also acknowledged by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) , whose Director General, Rafael Grossi , reported that the radiation level outside the Natanz facility "remains unchanged." He also noted that the type of contamination detected, primarily alpha particles, can be controlled with appropriate protective equipment.

Iran officially notified the IAEA of the attack, calling it an act of "nuclear terrorism" and reaffirming that its nuclear program will continue "strong and solid."

Such acts will not disturb the will and progress of our scientists.

— Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran

The June 12 bombing was part of the Israeli offensive known as Operation Rising Lion , in which multiple targets in Iran were attacked, including sites in Tehran, Isfahan, Tabriz, and Arak. In addition to Natanz, other nuclear facilities such as Khondab and Kermanshah, as well as military bases, were also hit.

According to preliminary reports, at least four senior Iranian military officials and several nuclear scientists were killed in the attacks, including Hossein Salami , commander of the Revolutionary Guard, and Amir Ali Hajizadeh , head of the Aerospace Forces of the same organization.

Iran responded by launching more than 100 drones toward Israel, most of which were intercepted. Meanwhile, the UN Security Council has been convened at Tehran's request to address the escalating conflict.