Iran Blames US and Israel for Strike on Natanz Enrichment Facility

Iran's Atomic Energy Organization of Iran accused the United States and Israel of striking the Shahid Ahmadi Roshan enrichment facility at Natanz on Saturday morning, March 21, marking at least the second hit on the complex since March 2 and the latest in a conflict that has placed multiple Iranian nuclear sites in the crosshairs since February 28.

The AEOI, in a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency, said: "Following the criminal attacks by the United States and the usurping Zionist regime against our country, the Natanz enrichment complex was targeted this morning." The organization declared the strike a violation of international law, citing the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and other nuclear safety commitments.

Iran's Nuclear Safety System Center conducted technical assessments at the site and reported no radioactive material leak and no danger to residents of surrounding areas. The IAEA, informed by Iran of the incident through a post on X, confirmed that no increase in off-site radiation levels was reported, though it said it was still looking into the report. No casualties were reported, according to the AEOI.

The Israel Defense Forces told The Jerusalem Post they were not aware of an Israeli strike targeting Natanz, a direct contradiction of Tehran's account. No U.S. government statement acknowledging or denying involvement has emerged. Despite the IDF's denial, Israeli aircraft continued operating in Iranian airspace on Saturday; the IDF reported one of its aircraft was targeted by surface-to-air missiles during that wave of operations, stating: "The crew acted in accordance with operational procedures. No damage was caused to the aircraft, and the mission was completed as planned."

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi used the moment to repeat his call for "military restraint to avoid any risk of a nuclear accident," a warning that took on added urgency given a separate incident at Bushehr. Satellite imagery from Airbus, analyzed by the Institute for Science and International Security, showed a projectile impact crater just 350 meters from the Bushehr nuclear reactor core from a strike that occurred on a Tuesday evening, with Iran having already informed the IAEA of that incident separately.

Natanz, located roughly 220 kilometers southeast of Tehran and long considered one of Iran's most strategically significant uranium enrichment sites, has been targeted repeatedly since open hostilities escalated. The facility was struck during the 12-day Iran-Israel war in June 2025 and was one of three sites, alongside Fordow and Isfahan, hit in U.S. strikes during that same period. Iran's Reza Najafi, addressing reporters at a meeting of the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors, put it plainly: "Again they attacked Iran's peaceful, safeguarded nuclear facilities yesterday."

Tehran has retaliated for the campaign, which began February 28, with repeated drone and missile strikes targeting Israel and Gulf countries hosting U.S. military assets. A Jerusalem Post satellite image from March 7 documented a destroyed vehicle at the Pickaxe Mountain facility within the broader Natanz complex, offering visual evidence of damage from earlier in the month. Independent satellite confirmation of the March 21 strike specifically had not yet been published as of this reporting, and the IAEA has not yet conducted on-site verification.