Iran says nuclear sites hit as Israel vows more attacks
Iranian state media reported that the country’s nuclear facilities were attacked, just hours after Israel threatened to “escalate and expand” its military action against Iran.
A heavy water plant and a yellowcake production facility were hit, IRNA reported.
Yellowcake is a concentrated form of uranium after removal of impurities in the raw ore.
Heavy water is used as a moderator in nuclear reactors.
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said that the Shahid Khondab Heavy Water Complex in Arak and the Ardakan yellowcake production facility in Yazd Province were targeted.
There was no loss of life in the attacks and it was stated that there was no risk of contamination.
Israel also attacked the Arak facility last June.
News of the attack came after US President Donald Trump said talks on ending the war were going well and gave Iran more time to open the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian officials have given no clear indication that they will back down.
Iran’s response to the US peace offer aimed at ending the war was expected late Friday, according to a source with knowledge of the matter.
The source said Trump and senior White House officials were told through interlocutors that Iran’s counteroffer would likely come on Friday.
The war, which started with the USA and Israel’s attack on Iran on February 28, spread to the Middle East.
According to sources and reports, Iran was reviewing the 15-article proposal sent via Pakistan, which included demands ranging from stopping Iran’s nuclear program to stopping missile development and de facto handing over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
An Iranian official told Reuters on Thursday that senior officials had reviewed the proposal and felt it served only US and Israeli interests.
But the official said diplomacy is not over.
Air raid sirens sounded in Israel and the military said Iranian missiles were being intercepted daily.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said Iran “will pay a heavy and increasing price for this war crime.”
“Despite warnings, the shooting continues,” Katz said.
“And so attacks in Iran will increase and expand to additional targets and areas that assist the regime in producing and using weapons against Israeli citizens.”
The Israeli military said Friday’s attacks targeted areas “in the heart of Tehran” where ballistic missiles and other weapons are produced.
It was also stated that it also hit missile launchers and storage areas in western Iran.
The United Nations Security Council will hold closed consultations on Iran on Friday, two UN diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the meeting was not open to the public.
They said that Russia requested the meeting and that the United States, which chairs the Security Council, planned it.
Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said teams in Iran reported “countless homes, hospitals and schools damaged or destroyed” and that nearly every neighborhood in Tehran was damaged.
Egeland said in his statement: “Civilians are paying the biggest price of this war; this war must end.” he said.
The U.N. International Organization for Migration said Friday that 82,000 civilian buildings were damaged in Iran, including hospitals and the homes of 180,000 people.
“If this war continues, we face a much greater risk of humanitarian disaster,” Egeland said.
“Millions of people could be forced to flee across borders, putting huge pressure on an already overstretched region.”
with AP
