Israeli military confirmed that three waves of airstrikes were executed against missile factories and other sites in western Iran, a response to Tehran’s missile barrage of over 200 rockets aimed at Israel on Oct 1
News Desk
GAZA: An American researcher has reported that an Israeli airstrike on Saturday targeted a building associated with Iran’s defunct nuclear weapons development program, as well as facilities used for mixing solid fuel for missiles. These assessments, based on commercial satellite imagery, were independently reached by David Albright, a former UN weapons inspector, and Decker Eveleth, an associate research analyst at the Washington think tank CNA.
According to the researchers, the strikes occurred at the Parchin military complex, located near Tehran, as well as at Khojir, a significant missile production site. Eveleth noted that the Israeli attacks could have “significantly hampered Iran’s ability to mass-produce missiles.” The Israeli military confirmed that three waves of airstrikes were executed against missile factories and other sites in western Iran, a response to Tehran’s missile barrage of over 200 rockets aimed at Israel on October 1.
In a statement, Iran’s military indicated that the Israeli warplanes utilized “very light warheads” to strike border radar systems across Ilam, Khuzestan, and around Tehran. Albright highlighted on social media platform X that satellite imagery indicated Israel targeted a facility known as Taleghan 2 in Parchin, previously used for testing activities during the Amad Plan, which was Iran’s nuclear weapons development initiative. While the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), along with U.S. intelligence, asserts that Iran ceased this program in 2003, Tehran maintains that it is not pursuing nuclear weapons.
Albright, who leads the Institute for Science and International Security, gained access to pertinent documents for a book following their theft from Tehran by Israel’s Mossad in 2018. He stated that archives revealed Iran’s retention of critical testing equipment at Taleghan 2. Although Iran may have removed vital materials before the airstrike, Albright asserted that “even if no equipment remained inside,” the facility would hold “intrinsic value” for future nuclear-related activities.
Further analysis of commercial satellite images from Parchin showed that Israel damaged three buildings approximately 350 yards from Taleghan 2, including two utilized for mixing solid fuel for ballistic missiles. While Albright did not disclose the source of the imagery, Eveleth confirmed that images from Planet Labs, a commercial satellite firm, depicted the destruction of three solid fuel mixing buildings and a warehouse in Parchin.
