Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization reported that Israeli strikes hit the Ardakan yellowcake production plant in Yazd province on Friday, March 27, but initial checks found no release of radioactive material outside the site and no risk to nearby residents.
The facility processes uranium ore into yellowcake, a concentrated powder that feeds into the country’s nuclear fuel cycle.
Iranian officials said the attack caused structural damage but left radiation levels normal.
The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed it had been notified by Iran and found no increase in off-site radiation.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi repeated his call for all sides to show restraint to prevent any nuclear accident.
The same day, Israel also struck the Shahid Khondab Heavy Water Complex near Arak. Iranian statements described both sites as civilian nuclear infrastructure.
No casualties were reported at either location, and authorities said the Arak plant had already been non-operational since an earlier Israeli strike last June.
Iran lists facilities that were targeted by Israel.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has listed the targets as two of Iran’s largest steel factories in Khuzestan and Mobarakeh, a power plant, and the nuclear sites.
Araghchi accused Israel of acting in coordination with the United States and said the moves went against an extended deadline for diplomacy offered by President Trump. He wrote that Iran would exact a heavy price for what he called Israeli crimes.
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The strikes fit into a pattern of escalating exchanges that began intensifying in 2025. Israel has repeatedly hit Iranian nuclear and military targets, arguing they form part of a program aimed at developing weapons.
Iran maintains its nuclear activities are peaceful and for energy and medical purposes.
The yellowcake plant at Ardakan sits in a remote area of central Iran and draws ore from nearby mines.
Damage there could slow Iran’s ability to produce fresh material for enrichment, though officials have not yet given details on how long repairs might take.
Local authorities in Yazd province said teams were still assessing the site by Friday evening. They stressed that yellowcake itself poses a low radiological risk compared to enriched uranium or spent fuel, and early monitoring showed that everything remained within the facility grounds.
The attacks on steel plants added an economic dimension. Khuzestan and Mobarakeh facilities rank among Iran’s biggest producers, supplying construction and manufacturing across the country.
State media showed images of smoke rising from the sites, though the full extent of damage remained unclear hours after the strikes.
Araghchi’s statement described the incidents as a component of a broader campaign against Iranian infrastructure.
He pointed to the timing, coming shortly after Trump indicated more time for talks before any further pressure on energy facilities.
Iranian diplomats have argued in recent weeks that military action undermines any chance for negotiations over the nuclear program.
Israel has not issued a detailed public comment on the Ardakan or Arak strikes beyond confirming operations against key sites in Iran’s nuclear supply chain.
Israeli officials have described such targets as critical early steps in any potential weapons effort, saying disruption there limits Tehran’s options.
The IAEA continues to monitor the situation and has inspectors in Iran under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Grossi has stressed in recent days that any strike on nuclear facilities holds inherent dangers, even if there are immediate radiation releases that do not occur. His office said it was still gathering more information on Friday’s events.
Iran plots revenge
Al Jazeera reports that Iranian leaders have promised retaliation in previous rounds of strikes, often through missile launches or proxy actions in the region.
Araghchi’s language suggested a significant response was coming, though he gave no specifics on timing or method.
Inside Iran, state television ran segments showing the targeted sites and interviews with officials who called the strikes reckless.
