The Natanz nuclear facility, a cornerstone of Iran’s atomic program, has sustained severe damage following targeted airstrikes by a combined US and Israeli force. According to a detailed assessment by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), at least three buildings within the sprawling complex in Esfahan Province were hit during the operation on 2 March 2026.

This strike represents the first direct kinetic assault on an Iranian nuclear site since the commencement of the broader "Operation Epic Fury" on 28 February, marking a significant breach of the regime’s most sensitive infrastructure.

Analysis of high-resolution satellite imagery confirmed multiple impact points, likely the result of precision-guided bunker-buster munitions designed to penetrate hardened structures. While the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) initially reported no immediate signs of a radiological release, the physical degradation of the facility suggests a coordinated effort to dismantle Iran's enrichment capabilities.

Iranian officials have condemned the "brutal" nature of the attacks, though President Masoud Pezeshkian has vowed that the nation will rebuild its infrastructure with "greater strength."

The strike on Natanz was part of a wider systematic campaign to neutralise Iranian air defences and maintain air superiority over Tehran and western Iran. Beyond nuclear targets, the coalition forces also struck internal security sites used by the regime for protest suppression and the dissemination of propaganda.

These operations aim to cripple the command-and-control apparatus of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) while simultaneously degrading the military hardware required for a sustained retaliatory response.

In a parallel theatre of conflict, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have launched extensive raids against Hezbollah positions in Lebanon. On 2 March, over 70 weapons depots, rocket launch sites, and command centres were targeted across southern Lebanon and Beirut.

These strikes followed a provocative rocket barrage by Hezbollah into northern Israel—the group's first such action since the 2024 ceasefire—which they claimed was a direct response to the reported death of Iran’s Supreme Leader in the opening hours of the campaign.

The regional volatility has further expanded to Iraq, where Iranian-backed militias have faced a series of airstrikes aimed at preventing them from opening a secondary front. As US and Israeli forces continue to mobilise, with the IDF calling up approximately 110,000 reservists, the focus remains on "decapitating" the Iranian leadership and dismantling its proxy network.

With the Strait of Hormuz facing potential closure and energy markets in flux, the international community remains on high alert for the next phase of this rapidly evolving conflict.

ANI