March 21, 2026
Iran said the Natanz uranium-enrichment complex in central Iran was struck on Saturday in an attack it blamed on the United States and Israel. The country’s Atomic Energy Organization said the attack did not cause any release of radioactive material or pose a risk to nearby residents, according to state-linked Tasnim news agency reports.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Iran had informed the agency of the incident and that its assessment confirmed no radiation leak. The IAEA said it was investigating and reiterated its director Rafael Grossi’s call for restraint from all parties to avoid a nuclear accident.
Natanz, a key site in Iran’s civilian nuclear program and used for enrichment, has been hit previously during the wider conflict. Satellite imagery showed damage to buildings there early in the war, and the site was also bombed in June of last year during a previous phase of the conflict. Western governments have long expressed concerns that Iran could enrich uranium to weapons-usable levels, a claim Tehran denies.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the intensity of strikes by the Israel Defense Forces and the US military would increase this week, adding that operations would target Iran’s leadership and strategic capabilities to “decapitate its commanders” and remove threats to Israeli and US interests. Katz’s comments came shortly after US President Donald Trump said he was considering “winding down” operations, but Washington’s recent deployment of additional warships and Marines to the region suggested otherwise.
The Israeli military also reported launching a wave of strikes on “regime targets” in Tehran early Saturday and conducted attacks on Beirut targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah. Israel said it had identified missiles launched from Iran toward Israeli territory several times within a six-hour period; there were no immediate details on the outcomes of the strikes. Hezbollah said its fighters had engaged Israeli forces in six southern Lebanese villages. The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel has been the deadliest spillover of the US-Israeli campaign against Iran, with over 1,000 reported killed in Lebanon and more than 1 million displaced.
Regionally, Saudi Arabia said its air defenses intercepted 22 drones overnight in the eastern part of the kingdom. Iran has launched drone and missile strikes on neighboring Gulf states since the start of the US-Israeli offensive, raising concerns about energy supplies and the safety of oil infrastructure.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran fired two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia, a joint US-UK base in the Indian Ocean. US officials told the paper neither missile hit the target; one reportedly failed in flight and the other may have been targeted by an interceptor launched from a US warship. If confirmed, the launches suggest Iran may possess missiles with longer ranges than previously understood.
The conflict has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial chokepoint for global oil flows. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Kyodo News Iran was prepared to ensure safe passage for Japanese ships and denied that Tehran had closed the strait, saying restrictions apply to countries attacking Iran while others are offered assistance.
To blunt global oil-price shocks, the United States temporarily eased sanctions to allow the sale, delivery or offloading of Iranian-origin crude and petroleum products already loaded on vessels at sea as of March 20. The US Treasury authorized such transactions through April 19, a move described by officials as intended to use “Iranian barrels against the Iranians to keep the price down” while operations continue. The US has made similar temporary sanction adjustments for Russian oil in recent months to address market pressures.
On the diplomatic front, Russia’s Vladimir Putin sent Nowruz greetings to Iran, telling Iranian leaders Moscow remained “a loyal friend and reliable partner” amid Tehran’s current crisis, according to the Kremlin. At the same time, Russian officials have repeatedly said they do not want Iran to develop a nuclear weapon, fearing it could trigger a regional arms race.
In Europe, the Financial Times reported the European Commission has urged member states to lower gas storage filling targets to 80% of capacity this season and to grant more flexibility in targets, citing disruptions and uncertainty in global energy markets tied to the conflict. Some EU officials argued for adjustments to provide certainty to market participants as LPG production and broader supply dynamics remain uncertain.
The IAEA’s Grossi and other international voices have urged all parties to show restraint to prevent escalation and avoid accidents at nuclear sites. The unfolding violence, attacks on facilities and disruptions to shipping have highlighted risks to regional stability, global energy markets and civilian safety as the US-Israeli campaign against Iran continues.