"Iran recently began constructing new facilities, sites, and underground bunkers to make its ballistic missile and atomic bomb program invulnerable in just a few months," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on 2/3.

Earlier on the same day, Al Jazeera reported loud explosions near a nuclear facility and air base in the city of Isfahan, central Iran. Iran's Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Reza Najafi, said the nuclear facility at Natanz was also attacked by Israel and the United States on 1/3.

"If we do not act now, there will be no future opportunity to act. Then they could target America, blackmail America, and threaten us and everyone. Therefore, action is necessary," the Israeli Prime Minister emphasized.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Najafi declared that these nuclear facilities are "safe and serve only peaceful purposes."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a press conference in Jerusalem on 26/2. *Photo: AFP*

Iran's nuclear program was one of the reasons Israel and the United States cited for conducting a strike campaign in 6/2025, accusing Tehran of nearing the capability to produce an atomic bomb.

However, the remnants of Iran's nuclear facilities after that attack by the United States and Israel appear to have been preserved in this latest operation.

"We have not observed any indications that any nuclear facilities have been damaged or attacked," Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi said on 2/3. Grossi did not explain the discrepancy between his information and that of the Iranian ambassador.

US President Donald Trump stated that after the "Bua Dem" campaign in 6/2025, the United States warned Iran not to rebuild its nuclear program elsewhere. "But they ignored that warning and did not abandon their pursuit of nuclear weapons," he told reporters at the White House on 2/3.

Location of Iran's nuclear facilities. *Graphic: AFP*

He stressed that Iran's possession of nuclear weapons is "unacceptable" to the United States, which led him to order military action to halt Tehran's nuclear and missile programs.

"This is our last best chance to eliminate the unacceptable threat posed by this regime," the US President highlighted.

The United States and Israel launched a large-scale offensive on Iran starting 28/2, destroying areas and killing senior officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran retaliated with missile and drone launches towards Israel and US military bases across the Gulf states.

By Huyen Le (According to AFP, Guardian)