The Israeli Air Force recently struck an Iranian nuclear weapons research and development site in Tehran, the military announced on Saturday, as Israel and the United States continued their operations to eliminate the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.
According to the IDF, the “strategic” site at Malek Ashtar University was used by Iran’s military industries to develop components for nuclear weapons.
Malek Ashtar University, subordinate to Iran’s defense ministry, is under Western sanctions over its activities relating to Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Iran has repeatedly denied seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. However, it has enriched uranium to levels that have no peaceful application, obstructed international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities, and expanded its ballistic missile capabilities.
Israel alleged during 2025’s 12-day war that Iran had taken steps toward weaponizing its enriched uranium and creating a bomb.
Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the terms
Iranian media said earlier on Saturday that US-Israeli forces had attacked the Shahid Ahmadi-Roshan Natanz uranium enrichment complex on Saturday morning. Technical experts found that no radioactive leaks had occurred, and nearby residents were not at risk.
In response to a query by The Times of Israel, the Israel Defense Forces said that it did not conduct any strikes in the area and that it could not comment on American activities.
Iran’s stockpile of some 450 kilograms of 60 percent-enriched uranium is believed to be buried under the rubble of sites bombed by the US last year, specifically near Isfahan and the Natanz area.
This handout satellite image courtesy of Vantor shows an overview of the Pickaxe Mountain tunnel complex adjacent to the Natanz Nuclear Facility near Natanz, Isfahan province, in central Iran on March 7, 2026. (Photo by Satellite image ©2026 Vantor / AFP)
That uranium is a short step away from weapons-grade material, enough for an estimated 10 nuclear bombs.
Securing the highly enriched uranium has been seen as one of the possible targets of the war for Washington and Jerusalem, though doing so would require a complex and dangerous operation.
IDF chief says Iran campaign at ‘halfway’ stage
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said on Saturday that the military was about halfway through its campaign against Iran.
“We are halfway through, but the direction is clear. In about a week, on Passover, the holiday of freedom, we will continue to fight for our freedom and our future,” he said in a video statement.
Zamir said that the “extensive damage we have caused to the Iranian regime over the past three weeks is beginning to accumulate into a systemic-strategic, military, economic, and governmental achievement.”
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir speaks in a video statement March 21, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)
“As a result, the regime of evil is weaker, and Iran is more exposed and without significant defense capabilities. The leaders of the regime, who developed capabilities with the goal of destroying us, are battered and confused,” he said.
Zamir also commented on Iran’s long-range ballistic missile attack on the British-American Indian Ocean military base at Diego Garcia on Friday.
“Just yesterday, Iran launched a two-stage intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of 4,000 kilometers [2,500 miles] toward an American target on the island of Diego Garcia. These missiles were not intended to hit Israel. Their range reaches the capitals of Europe — Berlin, Paris, and Rome are all within direct threat range,” he said.
You appreciate our wartime journalism
You clearly find our careful reporting of the Iran war valuable, at a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically during this ongoing conflict.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
