During Israel's October retaliatory attack on Iran, the secret Taleghan 2 nuclear weapons research facility in Parchin was destroyed – the American website Axios reported, citing sources in the US and Israeli authorities. Joe Biden expressed his opposition to the attack on the center, claiming that the destruction of the center could lead to war with Iran.
The attack on the Parchin facility was intended to significantly hamper Iran's efforts to resume nuclear weapons research over the past year. As a result of the attack, advanced equipment used to design plastic materials that surround uranium and lead to detonation was destroyed.
During the attack, the Taleghan 2 building was destroyed. According to the portal's informants, this center conducted research that could be used to develop nuclear weapons, although it may also be presented as research for civilian purposes.
– Scientific activities were carried out there that could have laid the foundations for the production of nuclear weapons. This was top secret information. Only a small part of the Iranian government knew about it. Most didn't know, the U.S. official said.
Axios says that in the middle of last year, White House officials privately warned Iran in direct conversations about the suspicious research in hopes of getting the Iranians to stop it, but it continued. A U.S. official said that in the months leading up to the Israeli attack, “there were general concerns” about Iranian activity at Taleghan 2. Iran has denied that it was pursuing nuclear weapons.
Satellite images show that Israel struck a nuclear weapons research facility in IranReuters, Planet Labs Inc.
Biden called for not attacking nuclear facilities
Outgoing president USA Joe Biden he demanded that Israel not attack Iranian nuclear facilities, which – as he argued – could lead to war with Iran. However, Taleghan 2 was not part of Iran's nuclear program, so Tehran could not acknowledge that the Israeli attack required a very strong response without also admitting to violating the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
“The attack was a not-so-subtle signal that the Israelis have significant insight into the Iranian system, even on matters kept top secret and known to a very small group in the Iranian government,” a U.S. official told Axios.
Main photo source: Reuters, Planet Labs Inc.