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The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, denied that the Fordow fuel enrichment facility and the Khandab heavy water reactor under construction in Iran had been damaged.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) published a letter quoting Rafael Grossi, saying, "Based on the latest available information, we have not reported any new damage at the Natanz site."
On Saturday, Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, told Iranian media that the Fordow nuclear site sustained limited damage as a result of the Israeli attacks.
Kamalvandi told the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA): "Minor damage was recorded in some sections of the Fordow uranium enrichment facility, but we have already removed a large portion of the equipment and materials, so there has been no serious damage, and there are no concerns about any contamination." The spokesman confirmed that "the Fordow nuclear plant is not experiencing any radioactive contamination."
In a related development, Kamalvandi revealed on Friday the presence of contamination inside the Natanz nuclear facility, noting that "contamination—both chemical and radioactive—has been detected only within the site, with no indications of its spread outside the facility." He added: "There is no cause for concern regarding the surrounding areas, but we are working to carry out cleanup operations inside the facility."
On Friday morning, the Israeli entity launched a surprise air attack against Iran in an operation dubbed "Rising Lion," targeting military sites and nuclear facilities, most notably the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility.
The strikes killed a number of nuclear scientists, prominent military commanders, and Iranian officials, most notably Revolutionary Guard Commander Hossein Salami, Army Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, and Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Forces Amir Ali Hajizadeh.
In response to the Israeli airstrikes against Iranian targets, Iran announced the launch of "Operation True Promise 3," which included the bombing of Tel Aviv with hundreds of missiles.
Circulared footage showed scenes of destruction described by some reports as unprecedented in Tel Aviv. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard confirmed that the operation included the bombing of dozens of targets and military sites in Israel, in response to the large-scale Israeli aggression against Iran today.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement: "Following the aggression and hostile operations carried out by the brutal Zionist terrorist entity this morning against Iranian regions... the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps launched its crushing and precise response against dozens of targets, military centers, and air bases of the usurping Zionist entity in the occupied territories, and named this operation 'True Promise 3.'"
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