In a bold and high-stakes operation, Israel has struck Iran’s Natanz Nuclear Facility — a central hub of Tehran’s atomic ambitions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the assault, claiming it targeted uranium enrichment sites and nuclear scientists involved in weaponization efforts. While the full impact remains uncertain, this sudden escalation casts new shadows over regional stability and global security. With Iran’s stockpile reportedly enough for multiple nuclear bombs, the strike reignites urgent questions about nuclear risks, missile threats, and rising tensions in the heart of the Middle East.

📌 STORY HIGHLIGHTS:

• Israel confirms precision strike on Iran’s Natanz Nuclear Facility

• Netanyahu: Iran has enriched enough uranium for nine atomic bombs

• Alleged targeting of nuclear scientists and weaponization programs

• No confirmation yet on damage to newly built underground tunnels

• Parchin military complex and five bases near Tehran reportedly hit

• Israeli PM warns of “nuclear terrorism” via Iran’s regional proxies

• Concerns grow over Iranian missile range potentially reaching Europe and the U.S.

Heightened tensions unfold as Israel targets Iran’s most sensitive nuclear infrastructure. The full impact remains under review, but regional and global ripples are already being felt.

In a bold and highly consequential move late Thursday night, Israel launched a targeted strike on what it describes as the very core of Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Confirming the operation publicly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that one of Tehran’s most crucial nuclear sites — the Natanz Nuclear Facility — had been struck, calling it a necessary action in the face of an escalating nuclear threat.

Netanyahu’s comments were direct, forceful, and aimed at drawing international attention to what Israel sees as a rapidly narrowing window to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. “Iran has produced enough highly enriched uranium for nine atom bombs — nine,” Netanyahu said in a live address. “In recent months, Iran is taking steps it has never taken before, steps to weaponize this enriched uranium. And if not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time.”

The Israeli leader emphasized that the goal of the strike was not symbolic but strategic — to disrupt and dismantle Iran’s progress in nuclear armament. “We struck at the heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment program,” he said. “We struck at the heart of Iran’s nuclear weaponization program. We targeted Iran’s main enrichment facility in Natanz and its top nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb.”

Natanz has long been regarded by global security analysts as a key pillar in Iran’s uranium enrichment program. It is closely linked with the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, and together, these sites reportedly have the capability to produce enough weapons-grade uranium to create up to eleven nuclear weapons in just one month, if left unchallenged. The seriousness of that potential, Netanyahu argues, justifies the offensive.

This is not the first time Natanz has come under fire. The facility was at least partially destroyed by an explosion in 2020. Since then, Iranian efforts have focused on strengthening the site — including the reported construction of deep underground tunnels meant to shield their nuclear operations from aerial surveillance and strikes. Earlier this year, the Institute for Science and International Security noted that Iran appeared to be expanding its underground infrastructure, raising concerns that critical work was being moved out of visible range.

As of now, it remains unclear whether these subterranean fortifications were affected by the latest strikes. No independent verification has confirmed the damage to the new tunnels or whether Iran’s most sensitive technologies were impacted.

The developments raise new questions about the future of nuclear diplomacy, regional stability, and the broader implications for global non-proliferation efforts. Netanyahu framed the attack not only as a defense of Israeli sovereignty but as a preemptive measure against what he calls a looming threat of “nuclear terrorism.”

“We will not let the world’s most dangerous regime get the world’s most dangerous weapons,” Netanyahu said. “Iran plans to give those weapons — nuclear weapons — to its terrorist proxies. That would make the nightmare of nuclear terrorism all too real.”

He went further, warning of the implications beyond Israel’s borders. “The increasing range of Iran’s ballistic missiles would bring that nuclear nightmare to the cities of Europe, and eventually to America,” he cautioned.

Adding to the complexity, reports from The New York Times suggested that the Parchin military complex, another sensitive site tied to nuclear weapons research, was also hit during the overnight raids. However, Fox News Digital could not independently confirm that report. Parchin, notably, was also targeted in October, when Israeli strikes reportedly caused significant damage to facilities believed to be involved in nuclear weapons development.

Beyond these two major locations, five additional military bases surrounding Tehran were reportedly struck in the same operation. Details remain scarce, and the full scale of destruction across these sites has yet to be officially assessed.

What remains certain is that the region has entered a new phase of confrontation. As observers await Iran’s response and further clarity on the damage, diplomatic corridors across the globe are bracing for aftershocks.