Illustrative image. (Israeli Defense Forces)
Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets bombed the Arak heavy water reactor near the town of Khondab in the western Iranian province of Markazi overnight, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced on June 19.
In a statement, the IDF said that a wave of overnight strikes involved 40 fighter jets dropping 100 munitions on Akra and dozens of additional targets in Tehran and other parts of the Islamic Republic. Ahead of the attack on the reactor, the military issued a warning and urged residents in nearby areas to evacuate.
“The strike targeted the component intended for plutonium production, in order to prevent the reactor from being restored and used for nuclear weapons development,” the military said.
Iranian state TV said that Arak was evacuated ahead of the attack and there was no damage to civilian areas around the reactor.
Later, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a brief statement that Akrak was not operational and contained no nuclear materials at the time of the attack. The agency added that it had no information on the fate of the nearby Khondab heavy water plant.
Footage released by the IDF showed a series of strikes targeting Arak’s main hull and several of the reactor’s support facilities.
The research reactor was only partially built, with Tehran informing the IAEA that it planned to begin operating the facility next year. Heavy water reactors can easily produce plutonium which, like enriched uranium, can be used to make nuclear weapons.
Among the targets struck by the IAF elsewhere in Iran overnight was a facility near the city of Natanz in the central province of Isfahan, used by Iran to develop nuclear weapons, the IDF said.
“The site houses unique components and equipment used for the development of nuclear weapons, and hosts projects that enable the acceleration of the nuclear weapons program,” the military said.
The IDF previously struck the underground Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant near Natanz. The IAEA reported heavy damage and said that the site was likely contaminated.
More than 1,100 targets have been struck since the start of the attack on Iran, codenamed Operation Rising Lion, on June 13, according to the IDF.
Iranian officials have reported at least 224 deaths in Israeli attacks, though that toll has not been updated for four days now. The Washington-based Human Rights Activists monitoring group estimates the death toll at at least 585 people, including 239 civilians.
The IDF says that Iran has so far launched more than 400 ballistic missiles and 1,000 suicide drones at Israel in retaliation for the ongoing attack on its nuclear program and military capabilities. At least 24 Israelis were killed as result of these strikes. The latest Iranian strike, which was carried out right after the attack on Arak, was among the most devastative.
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russia sucks.
americunt imho scrub superior jew toilet then swallow taliban jizz
they’re really under your skin, aren’t they?
bigly. struggling in ukraine. even their nuclear power plants in iran getting destroyed and pres put in just accepts that.
struggling in ukraine? sure buddy, keep listening to the western media and politicians
russia is controlled by the jews that is why they do what they do their leadership serves the jewish interests not that of the russians same in every western country.
okay expert
iran needs to find what country they are launching these attacks from. they’re not launched from israel.
all based on israeli claims. they hit a construction site with a missile. as for the sites in natanz, iran moved that equipment before this started; israel expended ordnance on empty buildings. the radiation detected is from the depleted uranium warheads.
yes, all fabrication.lies, more lies, and desperate statistics.
could not that cause “global warming” ? 😂
the zionazi filth must be destroyed, completely erased from this earth. karma is indeed coming to the foul, disgusting beast.
the basic problem is that iran stupidly lost syria.
no, the basic problem is that the jewish supremacist organized crime enclave in palestine gained control of the state apparatus in much of the us empire.
actually, its the other way around, “us” could with a stroke of a pen end the organized crime enclave, but a entity, which organize crime enclavs around the world, of course will not do that. its a organized crime entity, which creates organized crime enclavs. “nine eleven” are the worst example, where most of the world get into a organized crime enclave.
no, the united states did not gain control of the jewish supremacist organized crime enclave, the us is controlled. it
you confused the camp dog with its owner.
why is it that the working slave cast do not understand what happen when they vote for their owners ? 😂 if the organized crime entity constantly scorches the rest of the planet, they will of course get fatter. this is one of the principal backgrounds to that russia should think about kill other than europeans for “us” sins.
zionists are known to be pathological liars.
i pay all jews if they let me scrub their toilet—americunts are inferior to all jews
why is dimona still standing?
mileikowski natanyahu,macron,trump,starmer and merz are all cult society.their best friend and coleaque is putin.because their stated putin is a blessing to nato actions.
god give good prophecies but blind prophetsnever do their home work even if you are killer, nazi,isis and stays in israel and claim you are jew their will support you.some prophecies base on real time actions
god never takes side and reveals the truth what is going to transpire.god apparently told some prophets to tell natayahu to prepare with bunker busting bombs and nuclear weapons.but nothing about gaza.
nice to see israel getting a taste of its own medicine.😬
now where is putin threat who said if rectors are attack there will be consequences.putin should surrender be removed by russians.because zelenski and macron nows where he is hiding.
putin lives rent free in your head 🤣
weak russia got fooked again. all their hard works destroyed by superior israeli weapons. and only strong words from a spokesperson. russia cannot even progress in ukraine and is begging for peace talks because they know the end is nigh for the russian federation.
if it were true you wouldn’t have to repeat it incessantly on sf, it would be obvious.
what is the status of israeli atomic centres at present times or are restrictions to heavy to bring reliable information?
iran = syria 2.0
ah yes, the nukes they claim iran has been trying to build for 30 years but no evidence has been presented. must be just as hard to find as iraq’s wmd’s?