Israel Strikes Nuclear Facilities In Arak, Khondab, Iranian Media Confirm

According to the agency, a building at the Tehran site, which was involved in the production and testing of advanced centrifuge rotors, was targeted in the assault. In Karaj, two buildings used for the manufacture of various centrifuge components were reported destroyed.

On Wednesday, the Israeli military claimed responsibility for an airstrike on a centrifuge production site in Tehran. The Israeli Defence Forces stated that the facility was part of an effort by the Iranian regime to increase the speed and volume of uranium enrichment with the aim of producing nuclear weapons.

Iran has not publicly responded to the IAEA report or the Israeli claims. The IAEA did not attribute responsibility for the attacks but continues to monitor developments closely as part of its nuclear safeguards mandate.

According to Israel Army Radio, Iran has launched approximately 400 ballistic missiles at Israel since the beginning of the conflict. The Israeli military reported that it had intercepted three drones launched from Iranian territory in recent days.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee stated that a facility affiliated with the US Embassy in Tel Aviv sustained minor damage from a shockwave caused by nearby Iranian missile strikes. No American personnel were injured in the incident, he confirmed.

The embassy has not disclosed further details regarding the closure but advised American citizens to remain vigilant and follow local security guidance. The closure comes amid rising fears of regional escalation following repeated exchanges of fire between Iran and Israel.

In a report released on Tuesday, HRANA stated that the fatalities include 224 civilians and 109 military personnel. The identities of the remaining 119 victims have yet to be confirmed.

Iranian officials have not publicly commented on the reported figures or confirmed the casualties.

Over the past five days, Israeli strikes have reportedly targeted key military sites across Iran, resulting in the deaths of several high-ranking Iranian commanders, including the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the chief of staff of the armed forces.

The reported death toll reflects a sharp escalation in hostilities between the two countries, with significant implications for regional stability. Independent verification of the figures remains unavailable due to restricted media access and the absence of official reporting from Iranian authorities.

Among those evacuated are citizens of the United States, China, Russia, Germany, Spain, Italy, and several other countries. The evacuees crossed the border at Astara, a key crossing point on the Caspian Sea coast, before being transported to Baku Airport, where they boarded international flights to their respective home countries.

Although Azerbaijan has kept its land borders closed since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the official said an exception had been made to accommodate urgent evacuation needs.

“In light of the evacuation need, Azerbaijan has temporarily opened its border for those leaving Iran,” the official stated.

In a similar move, Turkmenistan announced that it had allowed the transit of approximately 120 citizens from various Central Asian countries who were evacuated from Iran amid rising regional tensions.

According to citizen reports and messages received by Iran International, access to Bank Sepah’s online services has been completely cut off, with customers unable to access their accounts.

The hacker group Gonjeshke Darande has claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement, the group said it had destroyed the bank’s infrastructure, declaring: “We conducted cyberattacks which destroyed the data of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Bank Sepah.”

As a result of the breach, cards issued by Bank Sepah and its affiliated financial institutions, including Ansar and Kosar banks, have reportedly stopped functioning and are currently unusable.

Fars News Agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), confirmed the cyberattack and acknowledged significant disruptions to the bank’s operations. It also warned that the attack could impact fuel station payment systems, as Bank Sepah plays a key role in processing transactions at petrol stations across the country.

Further details about the extent of the data loss or recovery plans have not yet been released by Iranian officials.