A satellite image reveals the Parchin rocket motor casting facility in Iran, as captured by Reuters.
UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi stated on Wednesday that the agency does not classify Iran's Parchin site as a "nuclear facility" following Israel's claim of targeting Tehran's nuclear program in a recent strike. "We have no information confirming the presence of nuclear material at Parchin," Grossi informed reporters in Vienna, noting that while the site "may have been involved in certain activities in the past," the IAEA does not currently view it as a nuclear facility. "I leave it to military decision-makers to assess and categorize locations," he added.
On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disclosed that Israel's late October attack on Iran had damaged "a component" of the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. "It has been reported that a specific component of their nuclear program was struck in this attack," Netanyahu told the Israeli parliament. "However, the program itself and its operational capabilities have not yet been compromised," he further stated.
US news portal Axios reported that the attack on Iran had "destroyed an active top-secret nuclear weapons research facility in Parchin," citing unnamed US and Israeli officials. The site is located approximately 50 km southeast of Tehran.
Israel has frequently accused Iran of seeking to develop an atomic bomb, a charge Tehran has consistently denied.
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