Israel's October Strike Destroys Secret Iranian Nuclear Facility, Damaging Weapons Program

Nov 15, 2024, 11:26 AM

Israel's attack on Iran in late October 2024 destroyed an active, top-secret nuclear weapons research facility known as Taleghan 2, located within Iran's Parchin military complex, significantly damaging Iran's efforts to develop nuclear weapons, according to U.S. and Israeli officials cited by Axios. The facility was previously thought to be inactive. The strike targeted sophisticated equipment used to design the plastic explosives that surround uranium in a nuclear device and are needed to detonate it, reducing Iran's missile production capacity to around 10% of its pre-strike level. The operation aimed to disrupt Iran’s renewed efforts over the past year to resume nuclear weapons research, which had intensified despite previous suspensions. The U.S. had cautioned Israel against striking Iranian nuclear facilities, but Israel proceeded, targeting a secret site not officially part of Iran's nuclear program.