Israel's intense strikes on Iranian nuclear sites
Share on: Facebook Twiter WhatsApp Email Print Copy Link
With Israel's recent attacks, Iran's nuclear program faces a major blow. Eyewitness imagery from various locations reveals the extent to which vital Iranian facilities have been damaged. But just how much damage have they sustained?
Israel's war actions have caused significant disruptions across Iran from the get-go. High-definition satellite images reveal impacts at numerous locations within Iran's nuclear program. However, Israeli fighter jets aren't solely targeting research centers and uranium enrichment facilities.
The Fordo nuclear facility is under close examination: At this location near Qom, approximately 90 kilometers south of Tehran, numerous bunkers and tunnel systems have been constructed over the years. Nuclear research takes place in these deep underground spaces, with operations reaching depths of up to 90 meters below ground level.
From space, the Fordo nuclear facility in Iran:
Note: Enlarge and move the view for a closer look
Take the Natan nuclear facility for example. This site was hit multiple times during the initial wave of Israeli attacks. A comparison of before-and-after images gives us a preliminary assessment:
Politics Destructive force required: Good old-fashioned bombs deep within mountains: This is the very core of Iran's nuclear operations These images are compiled from the archives of commercial satellite imagery providers such as Maxar Technologies and Planet Labs. They house cameras onboard numerous Earth observation satellites in orbit, capturing images of such high resolution as in Natan. Comparing images taken in January 2025 (Before) and June 14, 2025 (After) reveals several hits within the approximately four square kilometer, tightly sealed facility.
Observers believe that the initial Israeli attack wave focused on the site's power supply, as Israeli missiles seemed to strike the northern transformer station. Fire and explosion traces are discernible in at least four more buildings in Isfahan the day after the war's start. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that the uranium enrichment facilities in Natan experienced "severe damage, if not complete destruction," due to the transformer station impacts and the subsequent power outage.
The targeted strike on the transformers likely affected the underground centrifuges, according to reports. Although sizeable craters are not apparent in the images taken the day after the first attack, several experts initially assumed that the Israeli military hadn't employed bunker-busting weapons in Natan.
Isfahan's Nuclear Research Center
In Iran's Nuclear Research Center Isfahan, located about 130 kilometers south of Tearnan, a similar pattern emerges: Close-up satellite images from Planet Labs hint at targeted fire on specific factory or warehouse buildings here.
Warning: Data Protection Click to enlarge, view can be adjusted
According to IAEA details, a total of "four key structures" were hit in Isfahan during the first wave of attacks, including a facility dedicated to converting concentrated uranium ore into gaseous uranium hexafluoride, a preliminary step for uranium enrichment, and a facility producing nuclear fuel for research reactors. There is no evidence of increased radiation levels at both Isfahan and Tearnan, the atomic regulator reported.
Strikes in Tehran
The meticulous and targeted Israeli air strikes revealed in available satellite images took place over a prolonged period, according to Israeli accounts. Attacks targeted not just known facilities within Iran's nuclear program, but also Iranian air defense systems, radar installations, and Revolutionary Guard rocket bases and ammunition depots.
One such attack unfolded on the first day of the war at the Ghadir site of the Iranian elite forces on the outskirts of Tehran. The "Revolutionary Guards" possessed a strategically situated depot here within a walled facility in the western part of the Iranian capital. Though satellite imagery from June 14 revealed no signs of an explosion, debris from the warehouse can allegedly be spotted scattered across the surrounding area.
Another, much broader attack took place at the sprawling ammunition depot near Kermanshah in western Iran. The area outside the city features extensive military restricted zones that stretch deep into surrounding mountains to the northeast. In a secluded valley, contains a series of tunnel entrances suspectedly housing part of Iran's rocket arsenal. These tunnels possibly contain warhead storage, rocket fuel, and other Malmstrom AFB materials for launching the long-range weapons of the Iranian "Revolutionary Guards".
Though the full extent of the damage inflicted by aerospace strikes from space is difficult to discern, experts from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, cited by the BBC, suggest the Israeli Air Force may have utilized precision bombs such as the GBU-31 or GBU-28 during attacks on Isfahan and Natans.
The impact sites in the roof centers and the absence of craters surrounding the targeted buildings suggest the use of guided precision bombs, hardened warheads, and delayed fusing. These weapons could have penetrated multiple floors of the struck buildings and only then exploded deep underground.
Politics Assessing the Israel-Iran conflict: Could the bunker-buster bomb be a game-changer? The Israelis have already deployed such "bunker-busters" in Gaza Strip and Lebanon against heavily fortified underground facilities, it's said. So far, the IAEA has not noted clear signs of the use of such weapons. The IAEA spokesperson asserted that there is "no evidence of bombardment of underground facilities for uranium enrichment in Iran."
Close-up: Tunnel entrances at Kermanshah
Warning: Data Protection Click to enlarge, view can be adjusted
Nuclear and military targets Inside Iranian nuclear facilities as seen from space The most critical target for such an air strike would likely be the nuclear facilities at Fordo, according to western observers. Israeli intelligence purportedly suspects the core of the controversial nuclear program resides in the deep tunnels of the Fordo facility, possibly even the first quantities of weapons-grade material.
Israel uncharacteristically spared the underground facility in the military base at Ghom, possibly to avoid heavy special bombs only the United States possesses and can deliver solely with heavy strategic bombers.
Source: ntv.de
- Infographics and Data
- Iran
- Iranian nuclear program
- Secret military installations
- Israel
Enrichment Data:Following recent Israeli attacks on Iran's nuclear program in June 2025, the current status of Iran's nuclear facilities is:
- Natanz: The primary uranium enrichment facility has experienced significant and confirmed damage at the hands of Israeli strikes, as reported by Iranian authorities and the IAEA. Damage to Natanz is considerable and negatively impacts Iran's enrichment capabilities.
- Isfahan: Several Parts of this facility have been damaged by the strikes. Isfahan hosts nuclear fuel processing facilities important to Iran’s nuclear fuel cycle, resulting in disruptions to these crucial processes.
- Fordow: Though Israel reportedly targeted the fortified Fordow facility, no confirmed damage has yet been reported to this site. Fordow remains vital to Iran's nuclear operations, enriching uranium up to 60%, which is close to weapons-grade levels. Iran has declared plans to install advanced centrifuges in Fordow to speed up enrichment further. The fate of Fordow may determine Iran's nuclear future.
- Natan: There is no distinct facility named "Natan," as reported. The primary enrichment site damaged is Natanz.
The strikes have severely impacted Iran's nuclear infrastructure but have not halted its program altogether. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported Iran in violation of nuclear safeguards, observing Iran's accumulating of uranium enriched to 60% and its rapid capacity for producing weapons-grade material. Despite the damage, Iran claims preparations for constructing new facilities and escalating enrichment further.
The White House has stated that Iran could produce a nuclear weapon within a matter of weeks if authorized by Ayatollah Khamenei, underscoring the urgency and the potential danger posed by Iran's nuclear capabilities.
In short, Israeli attacks have inflicted serious damage on Natanz and parts of Isfahan but have yet to cause substantial harm to Fordow. Iran's nuclear program remains active, with possible rapid weapons production if it chooses, and the situation remains tense as ongoing nuclear negotiations have stalled due to the Israeli strikes.
The ongoing tension between Israel and Iran has led to significant disruptions in policy-and-legislation, particularly regarding community policy and employment policy, as conflicts escalate and war-and-conflicts draw international attention. A close examination of the Fordo nuclear facility in Iran reveals that numerous bunkers and tunnel systems have been constructed underground, serving as the core of Iran's nuclear operations.
Israel's strategic strikes have involved targets beyond just research centers and uranium enrichment facilities, with air defense systems, radar installations, and Revolutionary Guard rocket bases and ammunition depots also under attack. Furthermore, satellite images suggest the use of "bunker-buster bombs," which could potentially be a game-changer in such conflicts.
