Amid intense Iran-Israel war, the International Atomic Energy Agency on Tuesday said that it believes Israeli airstrikes on Iran's Natanz enrichment site had “direct impacts” on the facility's underground centrifuge halls.
This marks the first time the United Nations' nuclear watchdog has assessed damage from the strikes in the underground parts of Natanz, which is the main enrichment facility of Iran's nuclear programme.
Here’s what IAEA said on Iran's underground nuclear facility
“Based on continued analysis of high-resolution satellite imagery collected after Friday's attacks, the IAEA has identified additional elements that indicate direct impacts on the underground enrichment halls at Natanz," the agency said.
Already, an above-ground enrichment hall had been destroyed, as well as electrical equipment that powered the facility.
Amid intense war, Israel continued to pound Iran on Tuesday, while US President Donald Trump posted an ominous message warning Tehran residents to evacuate.
Trump says Iran cannot have nuclear weapon
“IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,” Trump wrote on Monday night before returning to Washington early from a Group of Seven summit in Canada. “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!” he added.
However, Trump later denied he had rushed back to work on a ceasefire, telling reporters on Air Force One: “I'm not looking at a ceasefire. We're looking at better than a ceasefire.”
Why did Trump urge for evacuation of Tehran?
Asked why he had urged for the evacuation of Tehran, he said: “I just want people to be safe.”
Earlier, the Israeli military had called for some 330,000 residents of a neighbourhood in downtown Tehran to evacuate. Tehran is one of the largest cities in the Middle East, with around 10 million people, roughly equivalent to the entire population of Israel. People have been fleeing since hostilities began.
Israel says its sweeping assault on Iran's top military leaders, nuclear scientists, uranium enrichment sites and ballistic missile program is necessary to prevent its adversary from getting any closer to building an atomic weapon. The strikes have killed at least 224 people in Iran.
Iran also retaliated by launching more than 370 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel. So far, 24 people have been killed in Israel. The Israeli military said a new barrage of missiles was launched on Tuesday, and explosions could be heard in northern Israel.
(With inputs from AP)
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