Israel launched a series of aerial bombardments on Friday targeting major industrial facilities and targets linked to Iran's nuclear program, according to Iranian media and Israeli security sources, in an escalation of the conflict that drew threats of retaliation from Tehran, the Times of Israel reported.
Iran's Fars news agency reported that the Israeli strikes hit Khuzestan Steel, near Ahvaz, and Mobarakeh Steel, in Isfahan, two of the country's largest steel production facilities. An Israeli security source told the media that the plants were partly owned by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and that the bombings likely caused billions of dollars in damage to the Iranian economy and could “cripple” Iran's steel industry.
The strikes appear to mark a first for attacks on Iranian industrial facilities that are not directly related to the defense sector or the oil and gas industry. Although US President Donald Trump indicated earlier this week that energy infrastructure would not be targeted, as Washington seeks to avoid the full destabilization of Iran, Israeli officials have suggested that weakening the current regime remains a priority.
According to an Israeli security source, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the attacks. Katz said on Friday that Israel would step up its bombing campaign against Iran. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not issue an official statement confirming the strikes on the steel plants.
Iran condemned the attacks, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warning that Tehran would impose a “HEAVY cost”.
“Israel hit two of Iran's largest steel plants, a power plant and civilian nuclear sites, among other infrastructure. Israel claims it acted in coordination with the US,” Araghchi said in a social media post.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has also threatened retaliation, warning it will target industrial targets in Israel and the Gulf states. It warned employees of facilities “which have American shareholders, as well as heavy industries allied with the Zionist regime … to leave immediately” the sites ahead of possible counterattacks.
In addition to the strikes on industrial infrastructure, the Israeli Air Force announced it had targeted two sites related to the nuclear program: a plant near Yazd and a heavy water reactor in Arak.
The IDF described the Yazd facility as a “uranium extraction facility” and “the only one of its kind in Iran.”
“This facility is the only one of its kind in Iran, where raw materials extracted from the soil are subjected to mechanical and chemical processes to be used as precursor materials for uranium enrichment,” the Israeli military said, adding that it was a “highly important process for the regime's nuclear weapons program.”
The army said the attacks targeted “central infrastructure used in the site's production processes”. Iranian authorities confirmed the strike on the facility, but assured that there was no danger to the population. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said the attack “did not result in the release of radioactive material outside the facility, and therefore there is no cause for concern for citizens or the surrounding areas.”
Yellowcake, a powdered uranium concentrate, is an early step in the processing of nuclear fuel and can be further refined for energy or military uses.
The IDF also announced it had struck the Arak heavy water reactor, targeting “key infrastructure for the production of plutonium for nuclear weapons,” citing Iran's efforts to restore the site.
“Repeated reconstruction attempts by the Iranian terrorist regime at this site were later identified. Therefore, the IDF struck the facility again,” the military said.
Iranian media reported that there were no casualties from the strike on Arak, adding that “due to the safety measures taken previously, there is no danger to the local population.” The International Atomic Energy Agency later confirmed that “there is no risk of radiation as the facility contains no declared nuclear material”.
Despite changes mandated by the 2015 nuclear deal, the IDF says the facility continues to pose a proliferation risk. The military said the heavy water “can also be used as a source of neutrons for nuclear weapons” and accused Iran of avoiding completing the reactor's conversion to prevent the production of military-grade plutonium.
Meanwhile, hostilities continued, with Iran firing several salvos of ballistic missiles at Israel throughout Friday. Sirens sounded in the south and center of the country, and Israeli air defense systems intercepted several rockets.
One rocket had a cluster munition warhead, spreading submunitions over a wide area and damaging a hotel, while another hit an open area. No casualties were reported.
According to Israeli media, more than 78,000 warning sirens have been sounded nationwide since the start of the conflict nearly a month ago. More than 450 ballistic missiles have been launched from Iran, with the military reporting a 92 percent interception rate for threats aimed at populated areas and critical infrastructure.
Despite this high interception rate, several missiles hit populated areas, causing significant damage. Since the beginning of the conflict, 15 Israeli civilians and foreign nationals have been killed by Iranian missile attacks, as well as four Palestinians in the West Bank.
