After the missile attack by Iran vs. Israel on Tuesday, heightened speculation that Israel could strike Iran's nuclear facilities, as it has threatened for years. Some of Iran's major nuclear facilities are described below.
How close is Iran to nuclear weapons?
Iran's nuclear program is spread across multiple locations, only some of which are underground and protected from airstrikes. According to the US and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran had a secret nuclear weapons program until 2003, but the Islamic Republic denies this, saying it never had plans to build such weapons.
In 2015, Iran agreed to curbs on its nuclear activities in exchange for easing international sanctions under a deal with world powers. That deal fell apart after then-US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the deal in 2018, and Iran began reneging on its commitments. Since then, Iran has expanded its uranium enrichment program, reducing the time it takes to create enough nuclear fuel for a bomb from a year to a few weeks.
Iran is currently enriching uranium to 60% purity, close to the 90% required for weapons. According to IAEA estimates, Iran has enough enriched uranium that, if further enriched, would be enough for almost four nuclear bombs.
Iran's main nuclear facilities:
Nathanz
Natanz is a key site in Iran's nuclear program, located in a plain next to the mountains near the city of Qom. It houses an underground fuel enrichment plant (FEP) and a ground-based pilot fuel enrichment plant (PFEP). Natanz was discovered in 2002 by an Iranian opposition group, sparking a diplomatic standoff between the West and Iran that continues to this day. Although the plant was designed to hold 50,000 centrifuges, about 14,000 are currently installed, of which 11,000 are operating, enriching uranium up to 5%. In April 2021, an explosion damaged part of the centrifuges, which Iran blamed on Israel.
Fordo
Fordo, located on the other side of the city of Qom, is another enrichment site dug into a mountain, making it better protected from airstrikes. The 2015 deal prevented Iran from enriching uranium at Fordow, but now more than 1,000 centrifuges are operating there, including advanced IR-6 machines.
Isfahan
On the outskirts of Iran's second largest city, Isfahan, is a major nuclear technology center. There is a uranium processing plant and facilities for the production of uranium hexafluoride, a key component in the enrichment process.
Hondad (Arak)
Iran has a heavy water research reactor that can easily produce plutonium, another component for nuclear weapons. Under the 2015 deal, construction on the reactor was halted and its core dismantled and filled with concrete. However, Iran has informed the IAEA that it plans to put the reactor into operation in 2026.
Tehran Research Center
It is home to Iran's research reactor, which also plays a role in the country's nuclear program.
Boucher
It is Iran's only operational nuclear power plant located on the Persian Gulf coast. It runs on Russian fuel, which is returned to Russia after use, reducing the risk of nuclear proliferation.
Iran's nuclear program remains at the center of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, and the possibility of Israeli strikes on these facilities adds further tension to the region.