At a press conference in Tel Aviv on June 16, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu compared the ongoing military campaign to a "dead-to-dead plow" to eliminate the nuclear threat from Tehran.
"We have clear goals and will do them thoroughly. I estimate that Iran has been pushed back for a long time. I cannot disclose more but we are doing a plowing-through, Netanyahu said.
Israel confirmed that it had attacked three key nuclear facilities, which are likened to Iran's nuclear strongholds - Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow - along with many leading nuclear experts. Satellite images and initial assessments show that at least two of the three locations suffered serious losses.
The Israeli prime minister also said the country was on track for a complete victory, affirming that it had controlled all of Iran's airspace.
Mr. Netanyahu said that Israel is coordinating comprehensively with the US and is in almost daily contact with President Donald Trump. I am very grateful for the USs support, especially in intercepting Iranian missiles and UAVs, Netanyahu said.
Despite showing strong support for Israel, Trump remains cautious about any direct US military action in the region.
One of the most serious losses was at the uranium Natanz enrichment facility, Iran's largest facility. According to Rafael Grossi - General Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), almost all of the 15,000 domestic shock absorbers operating here were damaged or destroyed due to sudden power outages after the airstrike.
With the sudden power outage, we assess it as a high possibility that the centrif offers were severely damaged, if not completely destroyed, said Mr. Grossi.
A centrifuge is a sophisticated device that rotates at extremely high speeds and is prone to damage when there is an imbalance or power outage. Although IAEA could not reach the scene after the attack, satellite images showed the on-site enrichment plant in Natanz had been destroyed.
In Isfahan - a large-scale nuclear research center, Mr. Grossi said that at least 4 buildings were destroyed, including a central chemical laboratory, a uranium processing plant (from gold cake to UF6), a reactor fuel factory and a UF4 processing plant to uranium metal under construction.
However, underground items in Isfahan and Fordow - which are believed to store much of the high-level enriched uranium - do not appear to be seriously affected.
In Fordow, no significant damage was recorded. In Isfahan, underground works have not shown any signs of damage, but more time is needed for a thorough assessment, said Mr. Grossi.
While Iran has not yet responded officially, observers warn that the risk of comprehensive retaliation from Tehran is very high, as what is being destroyed is the "heart" of decades-long nuclear ambitions.
If the information about the losses in Natanz is accurate, Iran has lost more than 10 years of its ability in just a few hours, according to a senior diplomat.
