Iran confirms attack on Khondab nuclear site, slams IAEA inaction
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Iran says "Israel" struck its Khondab nuclear site, blames IAEA for inaction. As the Iranian civilian death toll rises, Tehran warns of escalating violations.
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Illustrative: Technicians work at the Iranian Arak heavy water reactor, 150 miles southwest of the capital Tehran, on December 23, 2019. (AEOI via AP)
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI) announced on Wednesday that the Khondab heavy water complex and research reactor had been attacked earlier in the day by the Israeli occupation, as part of an escalating pattern of aggression. According to The Wall Street Journal, Israeli jets hit components of the facility believed to be linked to plutonium production.
The AEOI confirmed the assault and sharply criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for what it described as repeated negligence in addressing prior warnings from Tehran of the Israeli regime’s plans to target nuclear infrastructure.
“Iran had repeatedly warned the IAEA about recent Israeli threats and attacks, but the agency took no action,” the statement said.
According to the AEOI, the attack on the Khondab facility, located in central Iran near Arak, did not result in casualties or radiation leakage thanks to pre-emptive safety protocols that had been activated amid ongoing security alerts.
“Due to pre-arranged safety measures, residents in the vicinity of the targeted site face no immediate threat or harm,” the AEOI added.
The attack marks a serious escalation following days of rising tensions between Iran and the Israeli regime, whose occupation forces have launched a military campaign targeting hundreds of Iranian civilians.
Iranian response: sovereignty and nuclear safeguards
Iranian officials reaffirmed that the Khondab reactor operates under full IAEA safeguards and that the site serves peaceful, research-focused purposes. They rejected claims that it had any military role and warned that continued strikes on safeguarded facilities may prompt Tehran to revise its nuclear posture.
In a recent statement, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi warned that “attacks on nuclear facilities, even if safeguarded, risk catastrophic consequences.”
Tehran also pointed to the Israeli regime’s refusal to join the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and its suspected undeclared nuclear arsenal as evidence of global double standards in nuclear oversight.
The AEOI’s statement shows Iran’s preparedness, noting that military drills in western and northern provinces were conducted in recent months to simulate responses to attacks such as this one.
