IAEA confirms limited damage at Iran’s Natanz facility amid renewed strikes

Vienna, March 3. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on March 3 confirmed that entrance structures at Iran’s Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant have sustained partial damage, based on its assessment of satellite imagery captured over the past two days amid the ongoing US-Israeli bombing campaign.

In a statement posted on X, the agency said recent images indicate damage to buildings at the entrance of the underground enrichment facility. However, it clarified that no radiological consequences are expected and that no additional damage has been detected within the plant itself, which had already suffered severe destruction during the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran in June.

Natanz was a central target in that earlier round of fighting, which eventually drew direct US involvement.

The latest confirmation comes amid conflicting accounts over the extent of damage to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure in the current hostilities. On March 2, the IAEA had sought to temper reports suggesting that nuclear sites had been struck, stating it had no indication at that time of any impact on such facilities.

Tehran, however, insisted that at least one site had been affected. While IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told an extraordinary session of the agency’s Board of Governors that there was no evidence nuclear installations – including the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant and the Tehran Research Reactor – had been hit, Iran’s ambassador to the agency maintained that the Natanz facility had come under attack.

Addressing member states, Grossi urged all sides to show “maximum restraint” to prevent further escalation of the conflict. He also acknowledged that the agency was facing difficulties in obtaining real-time information, noting that attempts to contact Iran’s nuclear regulatory authorities had so far gone unanswered.

The developments underscore rising concerns over the vulnerability of sensitive nuclear infrastructure as the regional conflict intensifies.