Israel says it struck uranium extraction facility in central Iran
The Israeli military said on Friday its air force struck a uranium extraction plant in Yazd, central Iran, after Iranian authorities reported airstrikes on the Ardakan Yellowcake Production Plant.
Israel called the plant the only one of its kind in Iran where mined raw materials undergo mechanical and chemical processing before being used in uranium enrichment.
The military described the site as a key part of the early stages of Iran’s nuclear fuel cycle, saying it forms the beginning of the chain required for producing material used in nuclear weapons.
The strike targeted core infrastructure involved in the production process, the statement said.
The IDF said that enriched uranium is a central component in nuclear weapons development and that hitting the site would deprive Iran of raw materials needed for enrichment, further undermining what it described as the country’s nuclear weapons program.
