Israeli air force hits Iranian nuclear site: IDF

Israel's military said today (12 March) that its air force carried out a strike on a site connected to Iran's nuclear programme.

According to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), the attack targeted the Taleghan compound, which is located within the Parchin military complex, roughly 30 kilometres southeast of Tehran.

The military said the operation was part of a series of strikes launched over the past several days.

The Guardian could not verify the claim immediately.

According to Reuters, the Taleghan facility is situated inside the Parchin complex, an area long associated with Iran's military research activities.

Since the start of the escalating confrontation between the United States, Israel and Iran, former US president Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons was a key objective of the campaign.

Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear programme is intended for peaceful civilian use. However, international scrutiny intensified in 2002 when previously undisclosed nuclear facilities related to uranium enrichment and heavy water production were revealed.

The Israeli military said its intelligence indicated that the Taleghan compound had been used by Iranian authorities to conduct weapons-related experiments under the Amad Plan, a project believed to have been halted in 2003.

Last week, the IDF also reported striking another nuclear-related location, identified as the Minzadeheian facility, where it alleged Iranian scientists had been secretly working on a crucial component for nuclear weapons development.