The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated on Thursday that Israel’s military strikes targeted the Khondab heavy water reactor in Iran, along with its adjacent heavy water plant. The strikes did not result in radiation leaks, but caused damage to critical infrastructure. Israel also mentioned that Iran launched missiles carrying cluster bombs towards Israel for the first time, targeting densely populated areas and escalating the risk of civilian casualties.
According to the IAEA statement, the Khondab heavy water research reactor that was attacked is still under construction and not operational, containing no nuclear materials, therefore posing no radiological impact.
The facility was originally designed to produce Plutonium, a fissile material used for making nuclear weapons. After the nuclear agreement reached by Iran and multiple countries in 2015, the reactor’s core was removed and encased in concrete to reduce the risk of nuclear proliferation.
Apart from the reactor itself, the nearby heavy water production plant also suffered damage. IAEA mentioned that no abnormalities were initially observed, but the latest assessment revealed that multiple key buildings, including distillation units, were destroyed.
On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu stated in an interview with the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (Kan) that “we will achieve all our goals, destroying all of Iran’s nuclear facilities. We have the capability to do this.”
The Israeli military and the Israeli embassy in the United States reported that Iran launched a missile carrying cluster munitions on the same day towards a densely populated civilian area in Israel.
The missile burst in mid-air, releasing approximately 20 submunitions spreading over an 8-kilometer range. One of the submunitions hit a residential area in the town of Azor, causing partial building damage but fortunately no casualties reported.
The Israeli embassy in the US told Reuters, “The design purpose of cluster weapons is to disseminate killing elements over a wide area, maximizing the effectiveness of the strike. Iran’s illegal deliberate firing at civilian population centers using widely dispersing ammunition attempts to cause maximum harm to civilians.”
Israeli military spokesperson Major General Effie Defrin, during a press conference, criticized the Iranian regime for “intending to harm civilians, even using wide-range killing weapons to maximize the scale of destruction.”
Reuters pointed out that cluster bombs scatter multiple small explosives over a large area, with some possibly not detonating immediately and posing threats to people for years.
Arms Control Association Executive Director Daryl Kimball said, “These weapons inflict extensive damage, especially when used in civilian areas, and may leave behind a significant number of unexploded munitions.”
He noted that Iran’s missile accuracy is inadequate, and Tehran should understand that these cluster weapons are “likely to hit civilian targets rather than military ones.”
Both Iran and Israel have not signed the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, and transfer of cluster weapons. To date, 111 countries and 12 other entities have signed the convention.
In the interview, Netanyahu also mentioned that besides targeting Iran’s missile launch systems and nuclear facilities, the Israeli military is also focusing on the Basij, a paramilitary organization under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responsible for internal repression.
“We are also targeting the Basij… this internal police force numbering in the millions. We have caused significant damage and will continue to target their objectives,” Netanyahu stated.
Netanyahu highlighted that Israel’s attack targets include “symbols of the regime.”
He reiterated that “regime change should be decided by the Iranian people,” but added, “We are also targeting government institutions and symbols of the regime, as you have seen – including broadcasting buildings and other facilities, with more actions to come in the future.”
Israel’s Defense Minister Katz stated on Wednesday that Israeli warplanes destroyed “the headquarters of Iran’s internal security apparatus, a key suppressing institution under Iran’s dictatorial rule.”
However, Iranian media claimed that the attacked facility belonged to the general police force and not the Basij organization.
In the interview, Netanyahu admitted that the Israeli top brass had been concerned for the past six months about taking military action without receiving the “green light” from the US, but he firmly responded, “We will not wait for a green light. In any case, we will act because we have no choice.”
He added that this war may bring pain and casualties, but “despite the sorrow of losing precious civilians, what we are discussing is the risk of potentially leading to the destruction of millions of people… the end of Jewish history and the Israeli people.”
“We have no choice,” Netanyahu concluded.