Israel has conducted a second wave of airstrikes on Iran’s Isfahan nuclear facility, intensifying its campaign against Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure amid escalating hostilities between the two countries. 

According to Israeli military officials, the latest strikes specifically targeted two centrifuge production sites at the Isfahan complex overnight, following earlier attacks on June 13 that had already damaged uranium conversion infrastructure, laboratories, and a centrifuge production facility within the compound.

These repeated raids are described by Israeli officials as having “dealt a severe blow to Iran’s centrifuge production capabilities,” a critical component for uranium enrichment that can be used for both civilian energy and, at higher levels, nuclear weapons development.

Isfahan is a central hub in Iran’s nuclear program, hosting a uranium conversion facility, a nuclear fuel fabrication plant, and, since 2022, plans for a new research reactor. Despite the Israeli strikes, Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation has publicly downplayed the extent of the damage, stating that there was “no extensive” impact and no risk of radiation leakage.

However, Israeli sources assert that the attacks have significantly hampered Iran’s ability to produce centrifuges, which are essential for enriching uranium.

The strikes on Isfahan are part of a broader Israeli campaign that has also included attacks on Iran’s underground nuclear sites at Natanz and Fordo, as well as other centrifuge production sites in recent days. In parallel with these operations, Israel has targeted missile launchers, drone infrastructure, and key military leaders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), claiming the elimination of several top commanders.

In response to the Israeli strikes, Iran launched a barrage of five ballistic missiles at central Israel, all of which were intercepted by Israeli air defenses. Debris from one intercepted missile caused a fire on the roof of a residential building in central Israel, but there were no reported casualties.

The ongoing exchanges mark a sharp escalation in the long-standing shadow war between Israel and Iran, with both sides warning of a prolonged conflict and regional actors expressing concern over the potential for further destabilisation.

The renewed Israeli strikes on Isfahan underscore a significant escalation in efforts to degrade Iran’s nuclear program, with both military and diplomatic repercussions reverberating across the region.

AFP