The Natanz nuclear facility, Iran’s prime uranium enrichment site, was destroyed in the IDF’s massive overnight offensive, military officials said Friday.
Officials said the strike marked one of the most significant operations in Israel’s history, characterizing it as a preemptive campaign aimed at neutralizing a grave existential threat.
Israeli fighter jets striking Iran's Natanz nuclear facility
The strike, part of Operation Rising Lion, targeted Iran’s underground nuclear complex at Natanz, a central symbol of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear ambitions. International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi informed President Isaac Herzog that the Natanz facility sustained serious damage.
Israeli security sources said the facility sustained heavy damage, calling the action a strategic move planned and executed during a broader multi-front war. “This was not a tactical strike or a limited operation—this is war,” said a senior IDF officer. “The Air Force carried out a historic preemptive strike 1,500 kilometers from home, at the most sensitive time.”
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The assault was timed to coincide with active hostilities on other fronts, including against Hezbollah in the north and Hamas in the south. “A move of this scale demands total national responsibility—from the defense establishment to civilian readiness,” officials said.
According to the IDF, the offensive began with targeted assassinations of senior Iranian military and nuclear personnel and was intended as a sustained campaign, not a one-off strike. Military leaders emphasized that the timing of the operation had been carefully chosen to preempt what they viewed as an imminent missile threat from Iran.
Despite Israel’s claim of heavy damage at Natanz, Iranian officials denied that the facility suffered casualties or contamination. Akbar Salihi, deputy defense minister for law enforcement in Isfahan province, said, “Despite the attack, there were no injuries at the Natanz nuclear site.” The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran added there was no leakage of radioactive or chemical material and that all employees were safe.
Military officials warned that Iran still retains missile launch capabilities and urged the public to continue following Home Front Command guidelines. “Public discipline is a key component of national defense, just as much as military deterrence,” they said.
Earlier, the IDF said it successfully intercepted all drones launched toward Israel by Iran as part of its retaliatory strike. According to officials, over 100 Iranian drones, already en route to Israel, were launched from multiple locations, including Iraq.
“Israeli aircraft have been intercepting drones for 610 days straight, protecting the country far beyond its borders," one senior officer said. The Home Front Command lifted its shelter-in-place directive shortly after.