Arak
Iranian city, home to the Khondab heavy-water reactor complex under JCPOA restrictions.
Last refreshed: 30 March 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Will Arak's heavy-water reactor survive the conflict free of any JCPOA constraints?
Latest on Arak
- What is Arak in Iran?
- Arak is a city in Markazi Province, central Iran, best known internationally as the location of the Khondab heavy-water nuclear reactor complex. Under the 2015 JCPOA, Iran agreed to redesign the reactor to limit its ability to produce weapons-grade plutonium.Source: IAEA / JCPOA text
- Has Arak been struck in the 2026 Iran conflict?
- No confirmed strike on Arak has been reported. Strikes since 28 February 2026 have hit 131 cities across 24 of Iran's 31 provinces, killing at least 787 people according to the Iranian Red Crescent, but Arak's reactor status has not been independently confirmed.Source: Iranian Red Crescent
- What happens to Arak if Iran leaves the NPT?
- If Iran's parliamentary bill to withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty passes, all JCPOA restrictions on the Khondab reactor at Arak would be revoked. Iran could then operate the original reactor design without IAEA monitoring or the agreed redesign constraints.Source: Islamic Consultative Assembly
- How does Arak differ from Natanz?
- Natanz is Iran's main uranium enrichment site using centrifuges; Arak hosts a heavy-water reactor that could produce plutonium, offering a separate potential path to weapons-grade material. The IAEA confirmed Natanz's entrance buildings were structurally damaged by strikes in 2026; Arak's status is unconfirmed.Source: IAEA
- What is the Khondab reactor at Arak?
- The Khondab IR-40 is a heavy-water reactor located at Arak. Under the 2015 JCPOA, Iran agreed to redesign it and fill the original core with concrete to reduce its plutonium production potential. It is distinct from uranium enrichment facilities such as Natanz and Fordow.Source: JCPOA
Background
Located in Markazi Province in central Iran, Arak is an industrial city of roughly 530,000 people. It hosts the Khondab Heavy Water Complex, a heavy-water reactor that could theoretically produce plutonium for weapons. Under the 2015 JCPOA, Iran agreed to redesign the reactor to reduce weapons-grade output and fill the original core with concrete. The IAEA monitored compliance until Iranian co-operation was curtailed.
Arak sits at the centre of Iran's nuclear diplomacy as one of the sites whose fate shapes any deal. Strikes across Iran hit 131 cities across 24 of Iran's 31 provinces since late February 2026, with 787 people confirmed killed by the Iranian Red Crescent as the conflict escalated. The city's symbolic weight intensified when Iran moved to file legislation withdrawing from the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which would remove all JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) restrictions on the Khondab reactor.
The city embodies the central paradox of Iran's nuclear programme: civilian infrastructure with irreducible weapons potential. With NPT withdrawal now debated in Parliament and Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant already confirmed structurally damaged by Israeli strikes, the question of whether Arak's reactor survives the conflict, or survives intact and unrestricted, has global non-proliferation consequences.
