The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Israel’s recent airstrike caused damage to Iran’s under-construction Khondab heavy water reactor, as regional tensions over Iran’s nuclear infrastructure escalate further.

Khondab Reactor Under Direct Fire

On Thursday, Israeli forces struck the Khondab nuclear complex near Arak, central Iran. While the Iranian government claimed the facility itself was unharmed, the IAEA stated the reactor structure sustained damage, citing independent verification.

The Khondab site includes a heavy water processing plant and reactor that had been redesigned under the 2015 nuclear deal but never completed.

IAEA Cautions Against Militarized Use of Data

In response to the strike, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi warned against using the agency’s nuclear monitoring data for military purposes. “Military action, from wherever it comes, is a political decision that has nothing to do with what we’re saying,” Grossi told CNN.

This marks one of the IAEA’s strongest public interventions since hostilities escalated between Israel and Iran over suspected nuclear weapon development.

Legal and Regional Fallout

Iran's Atomic Energy Organization called the attack a “renewed violation of international law.” Israeli officials argue the reactor posed a latent proliferation risk, despite it being inactive and under monitoring.

The Bushehr and Khondab sites have drawn increasing scrutiny from Tel Aviv, which has warned it will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon under any circumstances.