Israeli airstrikes carried out over the past 24 hours in Iran, including a significant attack on the Arak heavy-water nuclear reactor, were detailed in a press briefing Thursday night IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin. "We continue to dismantle Iran’s strategic capabilities—each strike reinforces our air superiority," he said.
Satellite imagery of the Khondab Heavy Water Research Reactor, located roughly 240 kilometers southwest of Tehran, shows substantial damage following the Israeli strikes. The facility, under construction since 2004 and scheduled to begin operations in 2026, is officially designated for civilian purposes. However, its use of heavy water makes it capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium, raising longstanding concerns about Iran’s true intentions.
Here are before and after images of the reactor:
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Satellite images before and after the damage to the Arak nuclear facility in the June 19 airstrike
(Photo: SATELLITE IMAGE ©2025 MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES / AFP)
3 View gallery
Before and after satellite images of the damage to the Arak nuclear facility in the June 19 Israeli airstrike against Iran
(Photo: SATELLITE IMAGE ©2025 MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES / AFP)
Targeting key threats
According to Defrin, Israeli fighter jets also carried out strikes in Tehran and against surface-to-surface missile systems.
"Over the past 24 hours, Air Force jets struck targets at the nuclear reactor in Arak. We continue to focus on strikes in Tehran, and our attacks are directed at everything that constitutes part of the threat to the State of Israel. At the same time, fighter jets completed a wave of strikes on surface-to-surface missiles," he said.
"Since the beginning of the operation, we have intercepted more than 480 aerial vehicles launched toward Israel," he said, and urged the public to continue following Home Front Command directives as the IDF "will continue to assess the situation." He emphasized that "in front of us stand 53 hostages still held by Hamas," and added that the IDF continues "to remove the existential threat from the State of Israel."
Advanced missile defense under strain
Asked whether recent missile impacts in Israeli cities were due to interceptor shortages, Defrin responded that the IDF is prepared to face all threats. “We are prepared for prolonged conflict. Our multi-layered defense system is the best in the world—but it’s not hermetic. Air Force strikes are critical to ensuring we can sustain this fight long-term,” he said.
Responding to questions about inadequate protection against missile attack for female surveillance soldiers, Defrin praised their courage, particularly during the October 7 Hamas attack, and stated that the IDF is constantly working to improve protective measures.
Iran's deception exposed
The Arak reactor, once a key concern in nuclear negotiations, was supposed to have been disabled under the 2015 nuclear deal. Iran claimed to have filled the reactor core with concrete. However, in 2019, Ali Akbar Salehi, then head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, admitted on Iranian television that the country had secretly acquired duplicate core piping—allowing it to potentially reassemble the reactor quickly if needed. Only Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was reportedly informed.
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Damage to the nuclear reactor at Arak, which was supposed to be disabled under the 2015 nuclear deal
(Photo: SATELLITE IMAGE ©2025 MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES / AFP)
"When they told us to pour concrete into the pipes, we said, 'Fine, we will'—but we didn’t tell them we had other pipes," Salehi said with a chuckle, revealing how Iran misled international inspectors.
IAEA: Israel urged to avoid reactor strikes
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently urged Israel not to target nuclear sites. Inspectors last visited the Arak facility on May 14, but due to Iranian restrictions, the agency admitted it had lost “continuity of knowledge” regarding Iran’s heavy water production—a gap that limits verification of Tehran’s stockpiles.
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Israel had already targeted Iran’s Natanz enrichment facility at the start of Operation Rising Lion, reportedly inflicting major damage. It also struck the uranium conversion facility in Isfahan, where enriched uranium gas is turned into uranium metal, which can be assembled onto a nuclear warhead. However, Israel refrained from striking the nearby nuclear fuel stockpile, which the IAEA now admits is unaccounted for.
Israel also struck, among other targets, centrifuge production plants in Karaj and a site for manufacturing rotors for advanced centrifuges in Tehran. According to reports that have been denied, Israel also struck in the area of the fortified underground nuclear facility at Fordow—but only the United States possesses the type of bomb likely capable of penetrating it from the air.