Iran confirms radioactive leak at Natanz nuclear facility following Israeli strike

A minor leak of radioactive materials has occurred at Iran's nuclear facility in Natanz following an Israeli strike.

According to Report, citing IRNA news agency, Behruz Kamalvandi, spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), confirmed the incident.

He said the contamination has not spread to the external environment.

"The damage in Natanz is primarily superficial because the main part of the facility at this location is underground. A very small leak occurred inside the facility, but the contamination has not spread to the external environment in any way. Therefore, from a radioactive contamination perspective, people can be assured that there are no problems," Kamalvandi explained.

CNN reports, citing two American officials, that Israeli strikes on the Iranian nuclear facility in Natanz, according to preliminary damage assessments, "were extremely effective and went far beyond superficial damage" to external structures. The attack reportedly disabled power to the lower levels where centrifuges used for uranium enrichment are stored.

"This was a full-scale blitz," another source familiar with preliminary damage assessments revealed, adding that the Israeli attack on the facility apparently also included cyber elements.

It remains unclear whether the power outage was caused by cyberattacks or kinetic strikes.