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Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant
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Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant

Iran's primary uranium enrichment complex in Isfahan Province, struck by US forces in 2025-26.

Donald Trump said on 22 July 2026 that the US would soon hit Pickaxe Mountain, a nuclear-linked site near Natanz, while a Tehran source denied moving centrifuges or enriched uranium there; inspectors have not reached Iran's main sites for nearly a year.

Last refreshed: 28 September 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Key Question

Can Natanz be rebuilt, and does Iran's nuclear programme still function?

Timeline for Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant

#160 21 Jul

Iran denies moving uranium to Pickaxe

Iran Conflict 2026
#160 21 Jul

Trump's Pickaxe threat, but no order

Iran Conflict 2026
#140 26 Jun

461 kg of uranium no one can verify

Iran Conflict 2026
#137 23 Jun

Bombed nuclear site still closed to inspectors

Iran Conflict 2026: Mentioned in: Trump claims inspections; Iran denies it
#123 9 Jun

Mentioned in: US strikes four Iranian sites near Hormuz

Iran Conflict 2026
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Background

Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant in Isfahan Province was Iran's primary uranium enrichment complex. Its enrichment output made Natanz a focus of IAEA monitoring, Iranian nuclear diplomacy and US and Israeli military planning.

Natanz was struck in June 2025 and twice in March 2026. The US used 5,000-pound GBU-72 penetrator bombs against Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan in June 2025. In March 2026 satellite imagery confirmed damage to its entrance buildings, though the state of the underground centrifuge halls stayed unknown, and the US struck Natanz again on 20 March. On 13 April Iran's foreign minister confirmed Natanz was destroyed and that Iran could not enrich at any site.

Iran's last verified stockpile, 440.9 kg of near-weapons-grade material, was recorded in September 2025, and inspectors have not physically checked it since. Any agreement must settle whether Natanz can be rebuilt and whether Iran may resume enrichment once it does.

Key Issues
Pickaxe Mountain

The threat shifts to Natanz's neighbour

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed on 13 April 2026 that strikes had destroyed Natanz, leaving Iran unable to enrich anywhere. By July the dispute centred on Pickaxe Mountain, a nuclear-linked site near Natanz. On 22 July Donald Trump said the US would soon be hitting it very heavily, though no military order or deployment named it as a target.

A Tehran security source denied the same day that Iran had moved centrifuges or any of its 440 kilograms of enriched uranium to Pickaxe Mountain; Israeli intelligence, reported by the Wall Street Journal, says it did. UN inspectors have been kept out of Iran's main sites for nearly a year, so neither claim can be checked, and Iran warned that a US strike on its nuclear sites would count as widening the war.

Common Questions

Reference

What is the Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant?
Natanz is Iran's primary uranium enrichment complex in Isfahan Province, housing approximately 5,000 centrifuges in underground halls buried under 8 metres of reinforced concrete and 22 metres of earth. It is Iran's main site for producing enriched uranium.Source: IAEA
What is Pickaxe Mountain and why is it linked to Natanz?
Pickaxe Mountain is a tunnel complex near Natanz that Israeli intelligence, reported by the Wall Street Journal, alleged received centrifuges and enriched uranium moved from struck sites after June 2025. Iran denied the claim on 22 July 2026. President Trump has separately threatened to strike the area.Source: Lowdown
How much enriched uranium does Iran still have?
Iran holds roughly 440.9 kg of 60%-enriched uranium across its facilities. The IAEA lost continuity of knowledge over the stockpile in February 2026 and formally declared this loss on 4 June 2026 after 97 days without inspector access.Source: Lowdown
Can Iran still enrich uranium at Natanz?
No. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed on 13 April 2026 that US and Israeli strikes destroyed Iran's enrichment capacity at every declared facility, including Natanz.Source: Lowdown
Why did the US strike Natanz and not Israel?
The IDF denied involvement in the second US strike on Natanz in 2026, indicating a unilateral US operation. The US separately used its heavier ground-penetrating GBU-72 munitions at other Iranian sites; Natanz requires the most capable bunker-busters in the US arsenal.Source: IDF / IAEA
Was Natanz destroyed in 2026?
No. The US struck Natanz at least twice in 2026, and satellite imagery confirmed surface structural damage to entrance buildings. However, the IAEA stated it could not confirm the underground enrichment halls were destroyed. Iran holds roughly 440 kg of 60%-enriched uranium, enough for approximately 10 weapons, and airstrikes have not altered that stockpile.Source: IAEA
How does Natanz compare to Fordow?
Both are underground Iranian enrichment facilities struck by the US in 2025-26. Fordow is built inside a mountain, making it even harder to destroy than Natanz. The GBU-72 Advanced 5K Penetrator was confirmed used against Fordow; the same weapon was not confirmed used at Natanz in the same strikes.Source: CENTCOM
Can the GBU-57 destroy Natanz?
The GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator was not confirmed used against Natanz in 2026. The munitions deployed — GBU-31 2,000-lb bombs with Blu-109 warheads — penetrate approximately 1-2 metres of reinforced concrete, which is insufficient for Natanz's underground halls protected by 8 metres of concrete and 22 metres of earth.Source: The War Zone / Army Recognition
How many times has Natanz been attacked?
Natanz has been targeted multiple times: Israeli sabotage in 2020 and 2021, Israeli strikes in June 2025 (Operation Rising Lion), US GBU-57 strikes in June 2025 (Operation Midnight Hammer), and US access-denial strikes in February 2026 (Operation Roaring Lion / Epic Fury). Each attack prompted Iran to rebuild or harden the facility further.Source: IAEA; US Central Command; arms control literature
What happens to Iran's enriched uranium under the ceasefire deal?
The Islamabad MoU signed 15 June 2026 commits Iran to destroying its 440.9 kg stockpile of 60%-enriched uranium under IAEA supervision. The destruction mechanism is still to be agreed. Iran's Supreme Leader called full IAEA access and any stockpile transfer excessive demands, and on 23 June Iran denied any inspection agreement existed.Source: Islamabad MOU text; IAEA Board report; Lowdown reporting, June 2026
Was Natanz destroyed in the 2025 US strikes?
The surface facilities were destroyed by Israeli strikes in June 2025. The US dropped GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators on the underground halls in the same campaign. The Institute for Science and International Security assessed this likely destroyed the centrifuge hall, but the IAEA cannot confirm it because inspectors have had no access since February 2026.Source: ISIS satellite analysis; IAEA Board of Governors report, June 2026