Wednesday, March 4, 2026-Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has publicly alleged that recent airstrikes by the United States and Israel targeted the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran, a key site in the country’s nuclear program.
Reza Najafi claimed at a special session of the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna that the attacks struck “peaceful safeguarded nuclear facilities,” naming Natanz specifically and urging the international nuclear watchdog’s member states to condemn the strikes as unlawful and brutal. Najafi also rejected claims that Iran was pursuing nuclear weapons, asserting that the attacks were unjustified.
However, this allegation stands in contrast to statements from IAEA leadership, who have said they have no confirmed indication that any Iranian nuclear facilities were hit in the latest wave of U.S. and Israeli strikes. IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi has cautioned that, so far, the agency has not detected damage to key nuclear sites and emphasized ongoing difficulties in communication with Iranian authorities amid the conflict.
Satellite imagery and expert assessments suggest there may have been some recent hits on access points and entrances at the Natanz site, though the core enrichment halls and centrifuge chambers remain unverified as damaged at this stage. The conflicting reports — Tehran’s claims of direct targeting versus the IAEA’s cautious verification — underscore the broader uncertainty and heightened scrutiny surrounding military operations near Iran’s sensitive nuclear infrastructure.
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