Damage at Iran’s Natanz Nuclear Facility Confirmed During US-Israeli Air Campaign; Missile Exchanges and Gulf Drone Strikes Persist
Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment site has sustained “some recent damage” during the ongoing U.S.-Israeli airstrike campaign, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said Tuesday, while stressing that no radiological consequences are expected from the impact.
 |
| Representational Image Via EasternVoices on X |
The agency did not report any radiation leaks. Natanz, one of Iran’s most closely monitored nuclear sites, had previously been targeted during the 12-day Iran–Israel war in June.
The disclosure came as the human toll inside Iran continued to rise. The Iranian Red Crescent Society said at least 787 people have been killed since the start of the U.S.-Israeli air campaign.
The updated figure marks a significant increase from earlier casualty reports and underscores the scale of the bombardment across multiple Iranian cities. Iranian state media also reported at least five people killed in airstrikes in the western city of Hamadan, with additional strikes reported in Isfahan and Shiraz.
At the same time, Israel said Iran launched fresh missile attacks toward its territory and that its air defense systems were working to intercept them. Israeli military officials said the pace of Iranian missile launches has slowed compared with the first two days of the war, attributing the reduction to sustained targeting of missile launchers.
An Israeli army spokesman said Israeli and U.S. operations have significantly limited Iran’s ability to fire and that dozens of launchers have been destroyed. He suggested Iran may also be pacing its attacks in anticipation of a longer conflict.
Based on the latest available satellite imagery, IAEA can now confirm some recent damage to entrance buildings of Iran’s underground Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP). No radiological consequence expected and no additional impact detected at FEP itself, which was severely… pic.twitter.com/7CS7BRZo1s
— IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency ⚛️ (@iaeaorg) March 3, 2026
The war has also widened beyond Iran and Israel’s direct confrontation. In Beirut, Israeli airstrikes struck a building housing Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television and radio station in the southern suburbs, causing heavy damage. The strike followed an evacuation warning from the Israeli military. Broadcasts were briefly interrupted before resuming.
Israeli forces said they are conducting operations inside southern Lebanon along the border, while Lebanon’s state-run news agency reported that the Lebanese army is evacuating some advanced positions and redeploying troops elsewhere.
In the Gulf, a fire broke out at an oil industrial facility in Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates after a drone attack was intercepted, authorities said. Shrapnel fell inside the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, but officials reported no casualties and said operations resumed after the fire was extinguished.
European governments have begun reinforcing military assets in the eastern Mediterranean. Cypriot officials said France will dispatch a warship to Cyprus and send additional land-based anti-drone and anti-missile systems following a drone strike on the British RAF Akrotiri base that caused minor material damage.
Germany has responded positively to a request to send a warship, according to officials. Greece is sending F-16 fighter jets and frigates to bolster regional security.
Meanwhile, Iran has started returning approximately 9,000 Iranian pilgrims from the Saudi holy cities of Mecca and Medina, according to Iranian state media.
The departure process is being conducted through Saudi–Iraqi border crossings, mirroring procedures used during a previous conflict. The evacuation of pilgrims highlights how the war is affecting civilian movement even during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Taken together, the IAEA’s confirmation of damage at Natanz, rising casualty figures inside Iran, continued missile exchanges with Israel, and expanding military activity in Lebanon and the Gulf illustrate a conflict that is deepening both militarily and geographically.
While the nuclear watchdog has indicated no immediate radiological threat, the targeting of infrastructure linked to Iran’s nuclear program underscores the strategic stakes of the campaign.
The combination of airstrikes across Iranian territory, cross-border operations in Lebanon, drone activity affecting Gulf energy hubs, and multinational military deployments suggests that the war is entering a sustained phase rather than approaching rapid containment.
Even as Israeli officials argue that Iran’s firepower has been curtailed, missile launches continue, and civilian casualties are mounting.