The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that an Israeli strike on a nuclear complex in the Iranian city of Isfahan has caused significant damage. The attack damaged six buildings, including two uranium processing plants, two research laboratories and a nuclear storage facility. Despite the scale of the destruction, the agency said the facilities attacked contained minimal amounts of nuclear material and that any possible radioactive contamination was limited to the complex.

Iranian authorities, in turn, deny that the attack had serious consequences. The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Mohammad Eslami, said that the strike did not cause a radioactive leak or cause critical damage to the country's nuclear program. However, independent experts have expressed concern, pointing to potential risks to the environment and public health if facilities associated with nuclear materials are damaged.

The attack on Isfahan was the latest episode in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, which reached a new level of tension in June 2025. Israel accuses Tehran of developing nuclear weapons and has repeatedly struck sites related to Iran’s nuclear program. Iran, in turn, has carried out retaliatory attacks, including rocket fire into Israeli territory, which has resulted in casualties and destruction on both sides. The strike on Isfahan, one of Iran’s key nuclear research centers, underscores Tel Aviv’s determination to thwart Tehran’s nuclear development.

The Isfahan nuclear complex in central Iran plays a major role in Tehran's program to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes, Iranian officials say. But Western countries and Israel suspect the facility could be used to make nuclear weapons. Iran has increased its enriched uranium production in recent years, according to the IAEA, prompting international concern and a factor in Israel's military action.