After Israeli Strikes, Much of Iran's Nuclear Program Remains Untouched

After Israeli strikes, much of Iran's nuclear program remains untouched, reported the New York Times today. Notably, the attack on Iranian nuclear facilities did not affect the primary storage of nuclear fuel in Isfahan. This is one of Iran's largest nuclear complexes, and it was not bombed despite its significant role in the uranium enrichment program.

In the second phase of the attacks, Israel targeted other locations in Isfahan, including laboratories working on converting uranium to metal, but the area containing enriched fuel reserves remained untouched. Experts believe this could have been a deliberate decision. Possible reasons include the fear of radiation contamination in the event of an attack or the expectation that Iran would voluntarily abandon its fuel.

According to sources, this stockpile is the closest route for Tehran to develop nuclear weapons. And Iran still possesses enrichment capacity. Even if the Natanz facility is permanently shut down, Iran could transfer enriched uranium to the Fordow facility, which is located deep underground.