Heavy losses after Israeli strikes! Iran reports radiation leak at Natanz

Iran confirmed internal radioactive contamination at the Natanz nuclear facility after an Israeli airstrike, but stressed that the radiation was limited and did not spread outside the site and posed no public risk, Palestine Chronicle reports.

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) confirmed that radioactive contamination was detected at the Natanz nuclear facility after Israeli airstrikes early Friday morning.

The attack, part of a wider Israeli military operation on Iranian territory, also resulted in the deaths of several senior military commanders and at least six nuclear scientists.

According to AEOI spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi, the contamination did not spread outside site and does not pose a danger to the public.

"We need to clean up the radiation inside the Natanz site and then assess the damage," he said in a televised statement, according to the Tasnim news agency.

Kamalvandi stressed that while the site suffered some damage on the surface, the underground uranium enrichment facilities remained intact and there were no casualties in these protected areas.

The Natanz nuclear complex is located in Isfahan province, about 220 kilometers southeast of Tehran, and is Iran's main uranium enrichment site.

Built in secret and revealed in 2002, the fortified complex is buried 8 meters underground and is protected by reinforced concrete walls, air defense systems and Revolutionary Guard guards. It has been repeatedly targeted in previous acts of sabotage, including cyberattacks and explosions widely attributed to Israel.

AEOI head Mohammad Eslami personally inspected the site after the attack and confirmed that the damage was “superficial”, although Kamalvandi noted that “chemical and radiological contamination“ was found and decontamination efforts were underway.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) acknowledged that it was monitoring what Director General Rafael Grossi described as “a very worrying situation in Iran“.

The agency is in communication with both Iranian authorities and IAEA inspectors on the ground to assess any risks arising from the strike. Grossi confirmed that Natanz was among the sites targeted.

In addition to Natanz, reports indicate that the Israeli strikes also hit a nuclear research center near the city of Tabriz in northwestern Iran.

Iranian officials have not confirmed the extent of damage to the site, but it is believed to house a research reactor. Meanwhile, Iran has assured the IAEA that the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran was not targeted.