Is Israel ready to hit Iran's nuclear sites?

Israel's new defense minister said on Monday that Iran was "more exposed than ever to strikes on its nuclear facilities."

"We have the opportunity to achieve our most important goal — to thwart and eliminate the existential threat to the State of Israel," Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote on X.

Tensions between Israel and Iran are running high after both sides traded tit-for-tat missiles strikes, sparking fears of a wider Middle East war.

Israel has for years accused Iran of seeking to build nuclear weapons.

According to recent reports by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran is rapidly advancing its atomic program, enriching uranium up to 60%, just 30% below the grade needed for atomic weapons.

Iran has repeatedly denied the claims that it is seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.

Katz replaced Yoav Gallant as Israel's defense minister last week after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Gallant, citing disagreements over domestic political issues as well as the military campaign in Gaza. 

Iran has spread its nuclear facilities over a number of sites and built some in underground bunkers, making it more difficult to destroy them completely.

Here's an overview of Iran's nuclear facilities.

Natanz

Located around 300 kilometers (180 miles) south of Tehran in the province of Isfahan, Natanz is the main center for uranium enrichment in Iran. It's here that the nuclear program operates centrifuges that enrich uranium for civilian and, potentially, military purposes.

The facility is housed in underground bunkers to protect it from airstrikes. Natanz has been the target of several acts of sabotage attributed to Israel, including the use of the Stuxnet virus, explosions and power outages. The facility's air defense system was reportedly disabled in April.

Isfahan

The Nuclear Technology Center in the city of Isfahan is a uranium processing plant that prepares the radioactive material for enrichment. Here, uranium oxide, also known as yellowcake, is converted into uranium tetrafluoride (UF4) and uranium hexafluoride (UF6). This chemical compound is used in centrifuges for uranium enrichment.

Saghand

This uranium mine is located in the desert region of Yazd province, around 200 kilometers northeast of the city of Yazd. The mine is one of the few known uranium mining sites in Iran and supplies the raw uranium that is used for the country's nuclear program.

Bushehr

Iran's first civilian nuclear power plant is located on the coast of the Persian Gulf in southern Iran,and is used to generate electricity. It is not used for military purposes.

Tehran

The Tehran Research Reactor is a research facility in Tehran, mainly used for the production of medical radioisotopes which are used in cancer treatment and nuclear medicine diagnostics.

The Tehran Research Reactor played a central role during the negotiations on the 2015 nuclear agreement, as it could be used not only for medical purposes but also potentially for military applications if highly enriched uranium were used.

Parchin

This facility, about 30 kilometers southeast of Tehran, officially serves as a test site for conventional weapons and missiles. However, there are reports suggesting that activities related to the development of nuclear weapons may also be taking place in Parchin.

Karaj

A research center for nuclear technologies in the fields of agriculture and medicine is located near the city of Karaj, about 40 kilometers west of Tehran. According to reports, this facility could also be used for the production and development of centrifuges for uranium enrichment.

In June 2021, the facility was the target of a sabotage attempt, which, according to Iranian sources, was unsuccessful.

Qom

The Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant is located around 160 kilometers south of Tehran, near the city of Qom. It's housed in a mountain to protect it from air attacks. This site produces highly enriched uranium.

Arak

A heavy water reactor in the city of Arak, around 240 kilometers west of Tehran, has the potential to produce plutonium suitable for the construction of nuclear weapons.

However, following the 2015 nuclear agreement, the reactor was modified to rule out this possibility.

This article was originally written in German.

It was updated on November 12, 2024, to include the latest statements from the newly appointed Israeli defense minister on Iran's nuclear facilities.