Two nuclear centrifuge centres in Iran hit by Israel, says IAEA; IDF said over 50 jets used in strikes

Two nuclear centrifuge centres in Iran were hit by Israel,  the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Wednesday (June 18), confirming Israel Defence Force (IDF) claims of using over 50 fighter jets to do so.Israeli airstrikes hit the Tesa Karaj workshop and the Tehran research centre, which were important nuclear centrifuge production facilities for Iran.
At Karaj, two buildings were destroyed where different centrifuge components were manufactured, whereas one building was hit where advanced centrifuge rotors were manufactured and tested in Tehran, IAEA said in a statement.
Earlier in the morning of June 18, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) said that over 50 Israel Air Force (IAF) fighter jets targeted major centrifuge production site and multiple weapon manufacturing facilities in the Tehran area, which were key elements of Iran’s nuclear weapons and missile programmes.

The IAEA has information that two centrifuge production facilities in Iran, the TESA Karaj workshop and the Tehran Research Center, were hit. Both sites were previously under IAEA monitoring and verification as part of the JCPOA.

— IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency ⚛️ (@iaeaorg) June 18, 2025

“A facility for producing centrifuges used to enrich uranium beyond civilian levels, sites manufacturing parts for surface-to-surface missiles fired at Israel, and a facility for surface-to-air missile components used to target aircraft,” were struck, IDF said on X (formerly Twitter), adding that the strikes directly degrade Iran’s ability to threaten Israel and the region.Earlier on June 17, the IAEA revised its assessment of the Natanz nuclear complex stating that the Israeli military strikes hit the underground uranium enrichment plant directly. It had earlier said that the site was indirectly hit, as per Reuters.

The UN nuclear watchdog has been providing its assessment and updates of the damage and destruction of the nuclear sites since Israel launched attacks on Iran in the early hours of May 13.

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However, the body has not been able to carry out any sort of inspection due to the rising tensions and the escalating conflict.

“Based on continued analysis of high-resolution satellite imagery collected after Friday’s attacks, the IAEA has identified additional elements that indicate direct impacts on the underground enrichment halls at Natanz,” it had said on X on Tuesday (June 17).

“No change to report” at Iran’s two other major nuclear sites, Isfahan and Fordow, it added.