Iran's Above-Ground Enrichment Plant At Natanz Destroyed: UN Nuclear Watchdog

The above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Iran's Natanz nuclear site has been destroyed, U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday on Israel's strikes on Iran.

"At present, the Iranian authorities are informing us of attacks on two other facilities, namely the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and at Isfahan," the International Atomic Energy Agency's Grossi told the 15-member council.

"At this moment we do not have enough information beyond indicating that military activity has been taking place around these facilities as well," he said.

Iran is enriching uranium up to 60% purity, close to weapons grade of 90%, at the Natanz pilot plant. But the Fordow site, which is dug into a mountain, produces more of the material, and military experts say it would be difficult for Israel to destroy through bombardment.

Grossi said electricity infrastructure at Natanz was also destroyed and the loss of power to a cascade hall may have damaged centrifuges there. But the level of radioactivity outside Natanz has remained unchanged and normal, he said.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi requested the Security Council meeting, saying Israel "has now crossed every red line, and the international community must not allow these crimes to go unpunished."

"Iran reaffirms its inherent right to self-defense as enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter and will respond decisively and proportionately to these unlawful and cowardly acts," Araghchi wrote in a letter.

Iran launched retaliatory strikes on Israel on Friday evening.

Israel launched a barrage of strikes across Iran on Friday, saying it had attacked nuclear facilities and missile factories and killed military commanders in what could be a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran building an atomic weapon.

"We don't know how long it will take," Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters. "We will continue to act until we will know that we eliminated the threats."

"The goals of our operation are very clear - to make sure that Iran will not have nuclear capabilities and to stop the ballistic missile operation," he said. "I will explain to the council... and I expect the Security Council to understand."

Araghchi, in his letter to the Security Council, said Israel had not only violated Iran's sovereignty but also committed "acts of aggression and war crimes."

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