What do we know about Iranian nuclear facilities? What is Israel targeted?
Israel launched an attack against Iranian nuclear sites, at dawn on Friday, June 13, targeting military leaders, scientists, nuclear energy experts, nuclear establishments, and secret research centers.
The Israeli Prime Minister called the "Assad's Rising Operation" attack, describing it as a "proactive blow to destroy the Iranian nuclear program."
The Israeli attack was not a limited blow, but rather a military operation targeting Iran's defensive and military structure, as the Israeli Air Force carried out 5 waves, and an Israeli security source said, and the Mossad carried out a series of assassinations targeted in Tehran, according to the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation.
Iran announced the killing of the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Hussein Salami, the commander of the Iranian armed forces, Mohammad Baqri, three nuclear scholars and the former head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, Muhammad Mahdi Tahrani and Faridoun Abbasi. Tehran also reported the killing of Iranian Deputy Chief of Staff, Ghulam Ali Rashid.
The region is witnessing an escalation despite the announcement of the resumption of US -Iranian negotiations on the Iranian nuclear file.
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What do we know about Iran's nuclear facilities?
Israel announced the targeting of nuclear facilities, including Natanz and Arak. Nuclear establishments in Iran are distributed into four main branches, namely; Research centers, special enrichment sites, nuclear reactors, and uranium mines.
Under the 2015 nuclear agreement, Iran agreed to reduce uranium enrichment to 3.67 percent, but after the United States withdrew from the agreement during President Donald Trump in 2018, Iran began enriching at higher levels, eventually reaching 60 percent. The maximum enrichment of uranium needed to make nuclear weapons is 90 percent.
Natanz Fertilization Establishment facility
Natanz is the main site of uranium enrichment in Iran, located about 250 km south of Tehran.
The station started work since February 2007, in a breach of the UN Security Council resolutions demanding the cessation of uranium enrichment, as it is the axis of international negotiations and is subject to accurate inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The facility consists of two parts: Experimental fuel enrichment facility (PFEP) and the main fuel enrichment facility (FEP), built underground to resist air strikes. For years, controversy over the extent of damage that a possible Israeli air strike may be caused to the facility.
It is able to operate up to 50 thousand centrifuges, while there are about 14 thousand centrifugal excavation devices there is currently, about 11 thousand of which are under operation, to purify uranium until the level of 5 percent.
The NDENES plant produces low enriched, which contains 3-4 percent of the U-235 concentration, which makes it suitable for the production of fuel for nuclear power plants.
However, it can also be fertilized to the 90 percent level required to produce nuclear weapons. Environmental samples analyzes conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency in November 2014 confirmed that the facility was used to produce low -fertilizing uranium, which raises concern about Iran's nuclear intentions.
Natz was a target of electronic attacks and sabotage, including the Stoxint computer virus, which was discovered in 2010 and is widely believed to have been a joint operation between the United States and Israel.
In 2020, the facility was subjected to a fire and the Iranian authorities claimed that it resulted from a "cyber" sabotage. In 2021, Iran announced that the facility was subjected to a "nuclear terrorist act."
Khundab (Arak Arak Reactor to Produce Heavy Water)
The first information on the Iranian Khundab reactor, formerly known as the Arak Pi -water reactor, appeared in December 2002, when satellite photos were published by the International Science and Security Institute. The reactor -depleted fuel contains plutonium, which can be used in the manufacture of a nuclear bomb.
In August 2011, the International Atomic Energy Agency visited the site, and told Iran about plans to operate the reactor in early 2014.
The neighboring heavy water production plant works to provide water for the reactor, but it is not currently under inspection by the agency. Nevertheless, the agency continues to monitor it via satellite photos. In 2012, the agency confirmed the continued work of the station.
Global powers seek to dismantle the Arak reactor due to fears of the spread of nuclear weapons. A temporary agreement was reached in November 2013 between (the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, Germany) and Iran on its nuclear program. According to this agreement, Iran agreed to impose restrictions on uranium enrichment and storage, in addition to closing or modifying facilities in several nuclear sites.
According to the 2015 joint comprehensive action plan, Iran stopped construction in the reactor, removed its heart, and filled it with concrete to make it unfit The reactor was to reduce the production of plutonium and prevent the creation of plutonium used in the manufacture of weapons during normal operation.
Iran has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency of its plans to operate the reactor by 2026, which still draws international attention due to concerns about the possible spread.
Caron Nuclear Station
The latest Iranian nuclear projects, began to be created in 2022 in the oil -rich governorate of Khuzestan, southwest of the country, with a capacity of 300 megawatts.
Iranian official sources said that building the station will take 8 years and will cost about two billion dollars.
In May this year, Iran announced that it is planning to start building the "nuclear island" of the "Karen" nuclear power plant, this fall.
The island will include, according to what the head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammadi Islami, announced a complex of buildings and installations that guarantee the operation of the nuclear reactor at the atomic power station.
Bushehr Nuclear Station
It is the only nuclear power station in Iran, which is located along the Persian Gulf.
Iran's nuclear program began in 1974 with plans to build two commercial nuclear reactors in Bushehr with German assistance, but the project stopped after five years due to the Islamic revolution. Iran returned to the program in the nineties after signing an agreement with Russia to resume work on the site, but Moscow was late in completing the project in light of the discussions of the UN Security Council, which issued decisions aimed at stopping uranium enrichment in Iran.
In December 2007, Moscow began delivering enriched uranium cylinders, and the reactor was linked to the Iranian National Electricity Network in September 2011, to generate 700 megawatts of electricity. In August 2013, the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that the reactor is working at full capacity.
However, his designs, which combine German and Russian models, have sparked safety concerns, especially because of his proximity to a large rift and a region that witnessed repeated earthquakes, where in April 2013 it witnessed a 6.3 -magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale.
Jashin mine for uranium
In December 2010, Iran announced that it had first produced uranium ore centers known as yellow cake, and transferred it to the reactor to be ready for fertilization.
The International Atomic Energy Agency indicates that Gashin mine, near Bandar Abbas Port, was mainly aimed at being a source of uranium for use in a military nuclear program, although the current production is not sufficient to meet the needs of an electric power reactor.
It was previously believed that Iran had a limited stock of yellow cake, which it imported from South Africa, but with the opening of the Gashin mine, Tehran added two new astrologers in Sagand and a factory to produce the yellow bun in Ardakan.
In January 2014, the IAEA inspectors were allowed to visit the Gashin mine for the first time since 2005, reflecting the increasing international pressure to monitor Iranian nuclear activities.
Isfahan Station for Uranium Treatment
In 2006, Iran began running an uranium processing facility at the Nuclear Research Center in Isfahan, with the aim of converting the yellow bun into three main forms:
- Uranium Floride Sixie, which is used in enrichment, as in Natanz and Fordo.
- Uranium oxide, which is used to supply the reactors with fuel.
- Minerals, which are used to manufacture some types of fuel elements as well as in the manufacture of nuclear bombs.
In November 2013, the IAEA inspectors were allowed to visit Isfahan Station, which reflects the attempts of the international community to monitor Iranian nuclear activities and ensure that they are not used for military purposes.
Fordo reactor
The Fordo underground facility is located in a mountainous area, south of the Iranian capital, Tehran. Iran recognized the presence of this facility for the International Atomic Energy Agency in September 2009 after it was discovered by Western intelligence services.
Fordo is designed to accommodate about 3,000 centrifugal devices, which are protected from military strikes.
Under the 2015 nuclear agreement (joint comprehensive action plan), Iran agreed to convert Fordo into a center of research and uranium enrichment there for 15 years. After the United States withdrew from the agreement in 2018, Iran resumed enrichment activities, and reached 20 percent by 2021.
In November 2022, Iran raised its enrichment to 60 percent.
This uranium is used as fuel for a medical research reactor in Tehran, which produces radioisotopes to treat cancer patients.
Although Iran suspended the activities of the establishment in January 2014 as part of a temporary nuclear agreement with the major powers, it later reinstated it.
Parshin Military website
Parshin Military website is located south of Tehran, and is mainly used in search, development and production of ammunition, missiles and explosives.
Fears regarding the role of this site in the Iranian nuclear program began since 2004, when it was referred to building a large station for hydrodine experiments, which are strong indicators on the development of a potential weapon, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
In 2005, the agency's inspectors were allowed to reach parts of Parsen twice, where they obtained several environmental samples. Although a report issued in 2006 indicated that there were no unusual activities, doubts about the site continued. The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly tried to visit the facility again, and in late 2011, it noticed new demolitions and construction.
With the refusal to enter the inspectors in February 2012, the agency expressed its inability to provide reliable guarantees about the absence of unannounced nuclear materials and activities in Iran, which increased international concern about the potential military dimensions of the Iranian nuclear program.
In May 2022, an explosion in the Parshin Complex, a major Iranian military base for the development of weapons in eastern Tehran, killed another engineer and wounded another.
Uranium enrichment station
In January 2012, Iran announced the start of uranium enrichment at the underground facility, which is located near the holy city of Qom and undergoing heavy guard. The site was built in secrecy, but Iran had to recognize its existence after confronting it with satellite images in September 2009.
In June 2011, Iran reported the International Atomic Energy Agency that it plans to produce average uranium enrichment, which contains 20 percent of the U-235 concentration.
Iran indicated that enriched uranium will be used as fuel for the research reactor in Tehran, which produces medical isotopes. However, uranium can be fertilized at a concentration of 20 percent to 90 percent needed to produce nuclear weapons. Under the interim nuclear agreement concluded in November 2013, Iran stopped producing average uranium enrichment and turned its stock into less dangerous forms.
The latest report by the International Atomic Energy Agency, issued in November 2014, confirmed that the Fordo site was producing enriched uranium by up to 5 percent.
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