Israel Strikes Iran Reactor, 'Source of Nuclear Weapons Production'

Precision Strike on Arak Heavy Water Reactor

Moves to Block Plutonium Production

As Donald Trump, the U.S. president, effectively issued an ultimatum to Iran, Israel has intensified military conflict between the two countries by launching a precision strike on the Arak Heavy Water Reactor, a core facility in Iran's nuclear program.

On the 19th (local time), the Israeli military announced it had conducted an airstrike on a heavy water nuclear facility in Arak, southwestern Iran. The Arak Heavy Water Reactor is capable of extracting weapons-grade plutonium from high-level radioactive waste. Western countries have long regarded it as a strategically significant facility since, if Iran pursues nuclear weapons development, it could provide a 'second route' in addition to enriched uranium. Analysts suggest this attack was more of a preemptive warning against Iran's efforts toward nuclear armament than a direct strike on the reactor itself. Iranian authorities stated that all personnel working at the Arak nuclear facility had evacuated and that no radioactive material had leaked.

Prior to the airstrike, Israel issued an urgent warning via X (formerly Twitter), stating, "The Israeli military is issuing an urgent alert to residents, workers, and visitors in Arak and Khondab," and "Evacuate immediately before Iranian military facilities are targeted." The post included a satellite image with a red circle indicating a radius of about 2 km around the Arak Heavy Water Reactor, clearly signaling the precision strike's intent. Arak is an inland city about 250 km southwest of Tehran, the capital of Iran, and is considered a strategic hub under close international scrutiny due to its relevance to nuclear weapons development.

Unlike enriched uranium, the Arak Heavy Water Reactor can produce weapons-grade plutonium while potentially evading monitoring, making it a key variable threatening the non-proliferation regime due to its strong potential for military use. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has also expressed concerns over the possibility of an airstrike on this facility, asked Israel for restraint, and dispatched an inspection team to survey the site on the 14th of last month.

In retaliation for the Israeli airstrike, Iran launched dozens of missiles. Some are reported to have struck civilian facilities, including the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, southern Israel. Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that air raid sirens and loud explosions were also heard in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and other locations.

Commentators assess that the Arak Heavy Water Reactor airstrike is a strategic step to preemptively curb Iran's nuclear armament potential, not just a simple military clash. The U.S. and Israel have long monitored this facility, seeing it as a potential gateway to plutonium-based nuclear weapon development. This airstrike is thus seen as a measure to limit Iran’s nuclear development pathway.

On this day, the Israeli military also announced a strike on a 'nuclear weapons development facility' in the Natanz region. Israel had also targeted the Natanz nuclear facility in an airstrike on the 13th. Located about 250 km south of Tehran, Natanz is said to be where highly enriched uranium, suitable for nuclear weapon manufacturing, is being produced.

Sohyun Lee, y2eonlee@hankyung.com