The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) officially acknowledged on the 17th (local time) that Iran's underground uranium enrichment facility in Natanz was damaged by an Israeli airstrike.
On the same day, the IAEA stated in a statement released via X (formerly Twitter), "As a result of continuous analysis of high-resolution satellite images collected after the Israeli attack on the 13th, additional circumstances indicating that there was direct damage to the underground enrichment hall in Natanz have been confirmed." However, it reported that no significant changes were observed at other Iranian nuclear facilities such as Fordow and Isfahan.
The Associated Press reported that it was the first time the IAEA acknowledged damage to the underground nuclear facility in Natanz. Until the previous day, the IAEA maintained that the underground nuclear facility in Natanz had not been damaged, and only the above-ground pilot fuel enrichment plant (PFEP) and power infrastructure appeared to have been affected.
Rafael Grossi, the IAEA Director General, mentioned the possibility of damage to the underground uranium enrichment facility in Natanz during an interview with the BBC the day before. Grossi noted, "While the underground uranium enrichment facility in Natanz was not directly attacked, the possibility is very high that centrifuges were seriously damaged or completely destroyed due to the loss of power."
According to foreign reports, the underground uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, located 220 km southeast of the Iranian capital Tehran, is equipped with 10,000 centrifuges. It primarily conducts uranium enrichment at a level of about 5%. A centrifuge is a device that transforms naturally occurring uranium into gas (uranium hexafluoride) and increases the concentration of U-235 needed for nuclear power by placing it in a rapidly rotating container. If a centrifuge experiences an imbalance due to a power outage, it can lead to collisions and damage, as well as resulting in a chain reaction of damage.