Israel Strikes Iran's Arak Heavy Water Reactor, Spotlighting Plutonium Concerns

Strategic Insights -

Iran's Arak heavy water reactor, some 250 kilometers southwest of Tehran, has long been a subject of concern due to its potential to produce plutonium, a key ingredient in nuclear bombs. The reactor, which has never been operational, was the target of Israeli airstrikes on Thursday, following attacks on other Iranian nuclear sites. The strikes have raised questions about the legitimacy of targeting a facility with no uranium fuel and no nuclear release, as warned against by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Key Takeaways:

  • The Arak heavy water reactor, built by Iran as part of its nuclear program, has the potential to produce plutonium, a key ingredient in nuclear bombs.
  • The facility was targeted by Israeli airstrikes on Thursday, following attacks on other Iranian nuclear sites.
  • The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned repeatedly that sites like Arak, whether in Iran or Ukraine, should not be military targets.
  • Iran's program has been shrouded in secrecy, with restrictions on inspectors, making it difficult for the IAEA to verify Tehran's heavy water production and stockpile.
  • Iran's redesign of the Arak reactor under the 2015 nuclear deal was aimed at alleviating proliferation concerns, but the work was never completed after the US withdrawal from the deal in 2018.
  • The reactor's potential to produce plutonium was highlighted by Ali Akbar Salehi, a high-ranking nuclear official in Iran, in 2019, who claimed that Tehran bought extra parts to replace the portion of the reactor into which officials poured concrete.

Statistics:

  • 2015: Iran agreed to redesign the Arak reactor under the nuclear deal with world powers.
  • 2018: US President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal, leading to the US-Iran relationship deteriorating further.
  • 2018-2022: The IAEA reported that it had lost "continuity of knowledge" about Iran's heavy water production, due to restrictions imposed by Iran.
  • 2019: Ali Akbar Salehi, a high-ranking nuclear official in Iran, claimed on Iranian state television that Tehran bought extra parts to replace the portion of the reactor into which officials poured concrete.

Sources:

  • The Associated Press, "Israel strikes Iran's Arak heavy water reactor" (no date).
  • International Atomic Energy Agency, "IAEA Director General's Written Communication to the Board of Governors" (1 December 2022).
  • International Atomic Energy Agency, "IAEA Director General's Report to the Board of Governors" (19 January 2019).
  • Reuters, "Iran to upgrade Arak reactor in 2019" (15 May 2019).
  • Carnegie Corporation of New York, "Nuclear Security" (no date).
  • Outrider Foundation, "Nuclear Security" (no date).