Iran says its Natanz nuclear facility was attacked
Tehran has not let the IAEA return to its bombed facilities since they were attacked in June.
Iran's nuclear facility at Natanz was struck during US and Israeli military operations against the Islamic Republic, Iran's ambassador to the UN nuclear watchdog said on Monday (2 March).
"Again they attacked Iran's peaceful, safeguarded nuclear facilities yesterday," Reza Najafi told reporters at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board of governors.
When asked by Reuters which facilities were hit, he replied: "Natanz".
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
No sign Iran's nuclear sites were hit, says IAEA
The UN nuclear watchdog has no indication Israeli and US attacks on Iran have hit any nuclear facilities, its Chief Rafael Grossi told the agency's Board of Governors on Monday, moments before Iran's envoy said one was targeted a day earlier.
Iran's nuclear programme has been among the reasons Israel and the US have given for the attacks, alleging Iran was getting too close to being able to eventually make an atom bomb.
At the same time, what remains of Iran's atomic facilities after the two militaries attacked them in June appears to have been largely spared in this campaign so far.
"We have no indication that any of the nuclear installations ... have been damaged or hit," International Atomic Energy Agency Chief Rafael Grossi said in a statement to a meeting of his agency's 35-nation Board of Governors.
What that assessment was based on is unclear, since he also said his agency had not been able to reach its counterparts in Iran.
"Efforts to contact the Iranian nuclear regulatory authorities ... continue, with no response so far. We hope this indispensable channel of communication can be re-established as soon as possible," he said.
Tehran has not let the IAEA return to its bombed facilities since they were attacked in June.
