Israel Claims Iran's Arak Reactor ‘Neutralised’; IAEA Says No Nuclear Material At Site

Last Updated:June 19, 2025, 16:19 IST

IDF said that it has ‘neutralised’ Iran’s bomb-linked reactor while the IAEA denied any radiological threat.

This handout satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies and taken on February 15, 2025 shows the Arak heavy-water research reactor on the outskirts of the Iranian village of Khondab, south of Tehran. (IMAGE: AFP)

The Israeli army said Thursday that it struck an “inactive nuclear reactor" in Arak in Iran during overnight raids “to prevent the reactor from being restored and used for nuclear weapons development".

The Israeli Defence Forces also released a video showing how it struck the inactive nuclear reactor in Arak.

“The nuclear reactor in Arak was created for one purpose: to build a nuclear bomb. It has now been neutralized," the IDF said in a post accompanying the video.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) appeared to contradict Israel’s account, saying it had no indication that the site posed a radiological risk. According to the IAEA, the Khondab facility was under construction and not yet operational. It also confirmed that no nuclear material was present at the site at the time of the strike.

“IAEA has information that the Khondab (former Arak) heavy water research reactor, under construction, was hit. It was not operational and contained no nuclear material, so no radiological effects," the agency said.

The Arak reactor has long been a point of contention between Iran and Western powers. Under the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran had agreed to redesign the facility to make it less capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium. That agreement has since unraveled following the US withdrawal in 2018 and Iran has gradually resumed elements of its nuclear program.

Reports from the Politico and Missile Defence Advocacy Alliance said the reactor is capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium as a byproduct which can be of potential use in nuclear weapons.

Shankhyaneel Sarkar

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev...Read More

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev...

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