Israel hits Iran’s heavy-water reactor as Trump weighs attack plans

Tensions between Israel and Iran have sharply escalated following a series of missile strikes, with Israel reportedly launching airstrikes on Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor. Iranian state media confirmed the attack but assured there was no radiation danger, noting the facility had been evacuated beforehand. Israel warned civilians to evacuate the area prior to the strike, and in retaliation, Iran fired missiles targeting multiple locations in Israel, including a medical building and residential apartments. This exchange marks the seventh consecutive day of Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear-related sites such as Natanz and Isfahan, with Iran responding in kind and urging civilians to seek shelter. The Arak reactor, located southwest of Tehran, uses heavy water to cool its nuclear reactor and, despite redesigns under the 2015 nuclear deal to reduce proliferation risks, remains a potential source for plutonium production, which could aid nuclear weapons development. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported a loss of “continuity of knowledge” at Ar