As the US, Israel and much of the world assess the effect of the American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, Tehran has offered only limited details.
There is good reason for that as Iran’s nuclear programme is not merely a scientific endeavour, it is a strategic insurance policy.
The regime has spent decades building it. If it crumbled overnight, Iran would lose one of its most powerful bargaining chips in any negotiation with the West.
So, what exactly has Iran said?
Nuclear contamination
Iran’s Nuclear Safety System Centre was quick to issue a statement claiming “no nuclear contamination” had been detected at or around the sites targeted by US strikes.
“Following the criminal attack by the US on the nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, Iran’s Nuclear Safety System Centre immediately conducted the necessary investigations,” the statement read.
“Based on the safety measures and planning, as well as data recorded by radiation detection systems, no signs of contamination have been detected. Therefore, there is no threat to residents living near the mentioned nuclear sites.”
Fordow takes a hit
Iranian officials claimed most of the uranium previously stored at the Fordow enrichment plant had been moved to an undisclosed location before the strikes took place.
An Iranian source told state media: “The exact location of the relocated uranium is not specified.”
Satellite images, however, suggest serious damage to Fordow’s entrance, evidence of what appears to be a direct hit from several 15,000kg US bunker-busting bombs.
While Iranian state media acknowledged the site “was attacked by the enemy”, it stopped short of revealing the extent of the internal damage.
Fordow was more than a plant; it was Iran’s nuclear vault, a heavily fortified centre buried deep within a mountain. Its symbolic and strategic value far exceeded its physical contents. Its fate now remains uncertain.
There has been no official word from Tehran about the level of damage to other key sites, such as Natanz and Isfahan. Notably, the nuclear reactor in Bushehr, closer to the Gulf and heavily watched by nearby countries, was not struck.
What about the nuclear stockpile?
Iran has amassed significant quantities of enriched uranium and operates thousands of centrifuges.
While Tehran claims much of the uranium was safely relocated, there is no clear information on the current condition or location of the remaining material.
It is worth mentioning that neither Iran nor the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported any radiation leaks.
IAEA weighs in
The IAEA, which monitors Iran’s nuclear activities, said the latest strikes on the Isfahan complex damaged six buildings, in addition to four previously hit.
However, it added that facilities targeted either contained no nuclear material or small quantities of natural or low-enriched uranium, suggesting any contamination would have been limited to the damaged structures.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi announced that the agency’s board of governors will convene for an emergency session on Monday.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
RESULT
Huddersfield Town 2 Manchester United 1
Huddersfield: Mooy (28'), Depoitre (33')
Manchester United: Rashford (78')
Man of the Match: Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town)
Results
1. New Zealand Daniel Meech – Fine (name of horse), Richard Gardner – Calisto, Bruce Goodin - Backatorps Danny V, Samantha McIntosh – Check In. Team total First round: 200.22; Second round: 201.75 – Penalties 12 (jump-off 40.16 seconds) Prize €64,000
2. Ireland Cameron Hanley – Aiyetoro, David Simpson – Keoki, Paul Kennedy – Cartown Danger Mouse, Shane Breen – Laith. Team total 200.25/202.84 – P 12 (jump-off 51.79 – P17) Prize €40,000
3. Italy Luca Maria Moneta – Connery, Luca Coata – Crandessa, Simone Coata – Dardonge, Natale Chiaudani – Almero. Team total 130.82/198.-4 – P20. Prize €32,000
Results
ATP Dubai Championships on Monday (x indicates seed):
First round
Roger Federer (SUI x2) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Thomas Fabbiano (ITA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Marton Fucsovics (HUN) bt Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 6-1, 7-6 (7/5)
Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) bt Karen Khachanov (RUS x4) 6-4, 6-1
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) bt Milos Raonic (CAN x7) 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
