Aerial images reveal the appearance of Iran's atomic facilities from celestial vistas.
Let's talk 'bout that Iran conflict, huh? The cat's out the bag, Israel dropping bombs on Iran and all that jazz. But, where exactly are them nuclear centers at? Let's take a gander with some maps and satellite images, shall we?
Israel is in a full-blown war against Iran, launching surprise airstrikes left and right. Boom goes the dynamite in Tehran and other places across Iran.
Iran's nuclear facilities are scattered like a sprinkling of secrets across the country. Familiar names include the Bushehr nuclear power plant, the research center in Isfahan, and uranium enrichment in Natanz.
Uranium Enrichment through the Roof at Natanz
The goings-on at Natanz are smack dab in the middle of Iran's uranium enrichment program. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the complex, shielded by earth mounds, fences, and checkpoints, looks like a mess. It's located on a plain, sandwiched between mountains and dear old Qom. Nestled near Iran's Highway 7, approximately 230 kilometers south of Tehran.
Natanz reportedly hosts several facilities of Iran's nuclear program, including two enrichment plants: the vast underground Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP) and the aboveground Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant (PFEP). These dolls are where weapons-grade material is produced from uranium.
Iran's activities in Natanz have been no secret since 2002 when an Iranian opposition group outed their nuclear enrichment complex there. Oopsie!
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Publicly accessible satellite images suggest the Natanz site is of top military importance. The facility is surrounded by a system of multiple, layered fences and walls. Dozens of prepared anti-aircraft positions are located around the outer perimeter. Watchtowers and a lit control strip secure the site against intruders. South of the facility, a busy road leads into the nearby mountains to several tunnel entrances.
Western intelligence agencies believe the FEP was built for commercial-scale enrichment and can accommodate up to 50,000 centrifuges. Currently, around 16,000 centrifuges are installed, with about 13,000 in operation, enriching uranium to up to five percent purity. Diplomats familiar with Natanz say the heavily fortified facility is about three stories underground.
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There's been plenty of chatter about how much damage Israeli air strikes could inflict at Natanz. Centrifuges at the FEP have been zapped by explosions and power outages in the past, with Iran blaming Israel each time. The extent of the damage after the latest Israeli attack is still up in the air. No radioactivity seems to have been released, according to the IAEA.
Civilian Use: Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant
The Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran isn't on the target list. The reactor there is the only one still spinning in the country. Unlike various research reactors at other locations, the plant on the Persian Gulf coast is primarily used for electricity generation.
Plans for civilian nuclear power in Iran date back to the early 1970s. Construction began in Bushehr in 1975, with the original intention of using German power plant technology. However, the NPP only went online after decades of interruptions in 2013, with some help from Russia.
Under the concrete dome, a single Russian-designed pressurized water reactor with a nominal capacity of 915 megawatts is humming away. The NPP is fueled with Russian nuclear fuel. Current agreements call for Moscow to take back spent fuel to prevent any further use. Further reactors are under construction in Bushehr: Satellite images from May 2025 show the construction sites of several identical power plant domes in close proximity to the existing reactor.
Enrichment Facility Fordo
Located in the mountains north of the central Iranian city of Ghom is Fordo, an almost entirely underground enrichment facility. Observers have assumed that the Fordo complex is better protected from possible bombings than the facilities in Natans. Iran officially considers the facility a secret matter.
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Satellite images show extensive construction activities in Fordo: In the remote surroundings about 100 kilometers south of Tehran, there are no settlements other than a kind of barracks. A single access road leads from the west to the site, which is obviously heavily secured. The entire complex is surrounded by earth walls and fences, like in Natans. Additional gun positions are found in the vicinity of the facility. Several tunnel entrances lead into the mountains inside the site.
The problem: The 2015 nuclear deal actually forbids Iran from enriching uranium in Fordo. However, there are now said to be around 2000 centrifuges spinning away there, most of them modern IR-6 machines. Up to 350 of these can enrich uranium to up to 60 percent.
In 2009, the USA, Britain, and France declared that Iran had been secretly expanding Fordo for years and had not informed the IAEA. American President Barack Obama said at the time: "The size and configuration of this facility are inconsistent with a peaceful program."
It's well-known Iran is up to its neck in a nuclear program. On the outskirts of Isfahan, the second-largest city in the country, the regime operates a well-known nuclear technology center. This sprawling complex includes a facility for producing nuclear fuel and a uranium conversion plant that can process uranium into uranium hexafluoride, which is fed into centrifuges.
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The nuclear center is located south of Isfahan's city center, about five hours south of the capital by car. The facility resembles a suburban neighborhood or an industrial area off the main roads.
The leadership in Tehran denies the existence of a secret nuclear weapons program. In exchange for the lifting of international sanctions as part of the 2015 nuclear deal with six countries, Iran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear activities. However, this agreement between Iran, the USA, Russia, China, France, the UK, and Germany failed in 2018. At that time, the USA under Trump's first presidency withdrew from the agreement and reimposed sanctions on Iran. Subsequently, Iran resumed its activities, particularly in uranium enrichment.
In the first wave of Israel's "preemptive strike," Isfahan does not appear to have been targeted. According to an initial overview, the Israeli attack initially focused on targets in the city of Tehran, Natans, and various locations in the north and west of Iran.
Heavy Water Reactor Arak
Reports of explosions near the city of Arak in the west of the country suggest that a partially completed heavy water research reactor, considered crucial to Iran's nuclear weapons program, has been compromised.
Heavy water reactors pose a risk for nuclear weapon proliferation as they can easily produce plutonium, which, like enriched uranium, can be used to build the core of atomic bombs. The extent of the damage is not fully known.
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The reactor's condition remains uncertain. Under the 2015 nuclear deal, construction was halted, the reactor core was removed, and filled with concrete to render it useless. The reactor was to be redesigned "to minimize plutonium production and not produce weapon-grade plutonium in normal operation." However, Iran informed the IAEA that it plans to bring the reactor online in 2026.
The IAEA believes that Iran now possesses nuclear material that, if further enriched, could be sufficient for up to six nuclear bombs. The USA and Israel are determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
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Enrichment Data:
The Israelis have been stirring up some serious chaos at Natanz. Here's a lowdown:
Natanz Enrichment Site
- Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant (PFEP): The above-ground pilot fuel enrichment plant at Natanz has been flattened, as confirmed by the IAEA's director-general, Rafael Grossi[3].
- Natanz Main Enrichment Site: The main underground enrichment facility at Natanz, which is Iran's largest uranium enrichment site, has been put out of commission. The Israeli military targeted the site's underground area, including a multi-story enrichment hall with centrifuges and supporting infrastructure[4][5].
Community policy and employment policy should be implemented to address the potential rise in job losses due to the impacts of the escalating Israel-Iran conflict, particularly in the sectors affected by the airstrikes. For instance, the government could consider offering job training programs or unemployment benefits to those who have lost their jobs as a result of the conflict.
The increased military activity in Iran may also have implications for sports events and tourism, as travel advisories and safety concerns may deter tourists from visiting the country. In this case, it would be advisable for the government to review its tourism policy and work collaboratively with sports organizations to ensure the safety and security of athletes and spectators.
