On the night of June 19, 2025, the Israeli Air Force attacked two key Iranian nuclear facilities - the inactive heavy water reactor in Arak and the centrifuges in Natanz, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesperson's Office reported. The operation, carried out using precision munitions, was the latest stage in the escalation of the conflict between Tel Aviv and Tehran aimed at undermining Iran's nuclear program. The strikes provoked a sharp reaction from Iran and increased tensions in the region, where hostilities threaten to escalate into a full-scale war.

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the attack was carefully planned and carried out using F-35 fighter jets, which are able to penetrate Iranian air defenses thanks to their stealth technology. Natanz, located in Isfahan Province, is Iran’s largest uranium enrichment center, where the IAEA estimates it stores significant quantities of uranium enriched to 60%. The Arak reactor, although inactive since 2015 under the nuclear deal, remains a symbol of Iran’s nuclear ambitions, as it can produce plutonium. Iranian media, including ISNA, confirmed the strikes, reporting “severe damage” to infrastructure, but refrained from publishing casualty figures.

The conflict, which began on June 13 with Israeli attacks on Iranian military sites, has killed more than 1000 people, according to Iranian officials, and destroyed strategic assets. Tehran responded by firing more than 1000 missiles and drones at Israel, damaging cities including Ashdod, Reuters reported. The strikes on Arak and Natanz are aimed at long-term debilitation of Iran's nuclear capabilities, according to analysts cited by The New York Times, despite the lack of confirmed evidence that Tehran is developing nuclear weapons, as IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has previously said.