Iran has reported that one of its key nuclear enrichment facilities was struck as the Middle East conflict nears its fourth week. The main enrichment site in Natanz, Iran, was targeted in a US-Israeli attack on Saturday, according to the official Iranian news agency Mizan. The agency confirmed that there was no radiation leakage following the strike, which occurred for the second time in the ongoing war. Satellite images provided by Vantor showed recent damage to structures housing personnel and the entrances to the underground fuel enrichment complex.
Iran operates three known nuclear enrichment facilities, including Natanz and the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. Natanz, situated in the Isfahan province around 135 miles southeast of Tehran, had previously been subjected to Israeli airstrikes during the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel in June 2025.
The recent strike occurred after US President Donald Trump mentioned the possibility of scaling back military operations in the Middle East, despite the dispatch of three additional amphibious assault ships and approximately 2,500 extra marines to the region.
The warfare, now in its third week, has maintained its intensity, with reports of Iran launching missiles towards Israel and Saudi Arabia intercepting 20 drones in a short period within its eastern region, which houses critical oil facilities.
The attacks coincided with Iranian New Year celebrations, known as Nowruz, and Trump’s remarks on social media indicated a potential reduction in military efforts, contrasting the administration’s reinforcement of firepower in the region and the request for an extra $200 billion from Congress to support the conflict.
The US is set to deploy three more amphibious assault ships and around 2,500 additional Marines to the Middle East, augmenting the existing presence of over 50,000 US troops in the area. Although Trump ruled out sending ground forces into Iran, he emphasized that all options remain on the table.
Casualty figures from US-Israeli strikes on Iran exceed 1,300, while Israeli operations targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon have resulted in over 1,000 deaths and displaced more than 1 million people, as reported by the Lebanese government. In Israel, Iranian missile attacks have claimed 15 lives, with an additional four fatalities in the occupied West Bank. Thirteen US military members have also lost their lives during the conflict.