'Created to build nukes': IDF gives closer look at Arak nuclear reactor in Iran- watch

Israel Defence Forces shared video of the nuclear reactor in Arak claiming that it was being used by Iran to create nuclear bomb. It also said that the reactor had been neutralized in an attack earlier on Thursday, which was also confirmed by Iran.

"This nuclear reactor in Arak was created for one purpose: to build a nuclear bomb. It has now been neutralized. Here is a closer look at the reactor itself," it said sharing the video.


Israel struck Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor, according to Iranian state TV, which reported the site had been evacuated in advance and posed no radiation risk.


The Arak reactor, located about 250 km southwest of Tehran, uses heavy water, which can be used to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons.

The attack came in retaliation to Iran's strike at a hospital in southern Israel which left nearly 40 injured.

While most attention on Iran’s nuclear program centers on uranium enrichment, experts closely monitor the Arak heavy water reactor due to its potential to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons.

When Israel attacked the site, the reactor was offline with no uranium fuel, and no radiation was released. The IAEA has warned that nuclear sites should never be targeted in conflict.

The Arak heavy water reactor was part of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal, which required it to be redesigned to reduce proliferation risks, including pouring concrete into part of the facility. However, the redesign was never fully completed.

After the US withdrew from the deal in 2018, Iranian officials claimed they had replaced the concrete-filled parts with new components. Due to limited access, the IAEA has since lost “continuity of knowledge” about Iran’s heavy water production and cannot fully verify its stockpile or activities.