Fordow, Isfahan, Natanz: Key Iranian nuclear sites that US attacked
PTC News Desk: US forces have attacked three Iranian nuclear and military sites, further upping the stakes in the Israel-Iran war.
President Donald Trump said the strikes, which he described as “very successful,” had hit the Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan sites, with Fordow being the primary target. Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency confirmed there were attacks early Sunday at all three nuclear sites.
Israel launched a surprise barrage of attacks on sites in Iran on June 13, which Israeli officials said was necessary to head off what they claimed was an imminent threat that Iran would build nuclear bombs.
NATANZ ENRICHMENT FACILITY
Located about 220 kilometers southeast of Tehran, Natanz is Iran’s primary uranium enrichment site and had previously been struck by Israeli forces. Before the attack, Iran had enriched uranium at this facility to 60% purity — a level that is technically non-weapons-grade but close to it. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Israel destroyed the aboveground structures of the site during the assault.
FORDOW ENRICHMENT FACILITY
Situated roughly 100 kilometers southwest of Tehran, the Fordow facility contains centrifuge cascades like Natanz but is smaller in scale. Although construction began as early as 2007, Iran only disclosed the site to the IAEA in 2009 after Western intelligence agencies had already discovered it.
Fordow is fortified beneath a mountain and shielded by anti-aircraft systems, making it highly resistant to conventional airstrikes. Military analysts believe it would require specialized "bunker buster" weapons, such as the U.S. GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator — a 30,000-pound precision-guided bomb designed to destroy deeply buried and hardened targets.
ISFAHAN NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY CENTER
Located approximately 350 kilometers southeast of Tehran, the Isfahan facility employs thousands of nuclear experts and houses three Chinese-built research reactors. It also includes laboratories connected to Iran’s broader atomic program.
- PTC NEWS
