Rita Odafe
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported that two structures involved in the manufacturing of centrifuge components for Iran’s nuclear initiative have been destroyed in Karaj.
These facilities are situated just outside of Tehran.
The UN nuclear regulatory body released this information on Wednesday, soon after the Israeli military confirmed it had executed a number of airstrikes in the vicinity of the Iranian capital.
“The IAEA has received reports that two production facilities for centrifuges in Iran, specifically the TESA Karaj workshop and the Tehran Research Center, were targeted,” the agency stated via a post on platform X.
“Both locations were previously under IAEA oversight and verification in line with the JCPOA,” it further noted, referring to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which is the nuclear agreement involving Iran and major global powers.
The agency also indicated that an additional strike in Tehran focused on a facility where advanced centrifuge rotors were being produced and tested.
Earlier, the Israeli military disclosed that the objective of their operation was to hinder Iran’s nuclear weapons development program. “As part of the comprehensive campaign to disrupt Iran’s nuclear capability, a facility for centrifuge production in Tehran was targeted,” their announcement stated.
Centrifuges play a crucial role in the process of uranium enrichment, which can yield fuel for civilian nuclear reactors or, if enriched to greater extents, materials suitable for nuclear armaments.
