US and Israel Target Iranian Nuclear Facilities in Ardakan and Arak Amid Ongoing War

The United States and Israel struck two Iranian nuclear facilities in central Iran on March 27, 2026, hitting a uranium processing plant in Ardakan and the Chondab heavy water reactor near the city of Arak, according to Iranian state media and the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization. The Ardakan facility, which converts uranium oxide, was described by Iranian authorities as having been "targeted a few minutes ago by the American-Zionist enemy," according to a statement posted on Telegram. The Chondab reactor, formerly known as the Arak facility, was struck in two waves, the state news agency Fars reported, citing the administration of Markazi province. Both Iranian authorities and the IAEA, as reported by AFP, confirmed that no radioactive material was released in either attack. Iranian state media also reported no injuries at either site. The Israeli military had previously called on residents of the northwestern Iranian city of Arak to seek shelter, warning of imminent strikes on nearby military infrastructure, though the IDF had not formally confirmed the attacks at the time of reporting.

Natanz already hit, nuclear program a declared war goal The strikes on Ardakan and Chondab follow an earlier attack on the Natanz nuclear plant, which consists of both above-ground and underground facilities for uranium enrichment, according to multiple reports. United States President Donald Trump has publicly named the destruction of Iran's nuclear program as one of the declared goals of the war, which has been ongoing for approximately four weeks since it began on February 28, 2026. The conflict has systematically targeted Iran's most sensitive nuclear infrastructure, with each successive strike moving deeper into the country's atomic supply chain, from enrichment at Natanz to conversion at Ardakan and heavy water production at Chondab. Iranian state media and the Fars news agency, which is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, have been the primary sources of information on the attacks, as the IDF has not issued formal confirmation. Social media images posted shortly after the strikes purportedly showed an explosion and fire at the Arak facility, though Reuters was unable to independently verify those images.

Key events in the US-Israel war on Iran: — ; — ; — ; —

Trump extends energy facility ultimatum to April 6 Trump extended an ultimatum to Iran on Thursday, suspending "the deadline for the destruction of energy facilities by ten days until Monday, April 6, 2026 at 8 p.m. Eastern time," according to a post on his Truth Social platform. Trump justified the extension by stating that negotiations with Iran were progressing "very well," though Tehran denied that any direct talks with the United States were taking place. The ultimatum originally concerned the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, with Trump threatening to bomb Iranian power plants if the waterway was not opened. Trump had first issued the ultimatum on a Saturday, then extended it by five days on the following Monday before granting the further ten-day extension at Iran's request. The gap between Trump's characterization of the negotiations and Tehran's denial of direct contact underscores the contested diplomatic landscape surrounding the conflict.

10 (days) — Extension granted to Iran's energy facility ultimatum

Iran-linked hackers breach FBI director's personal email Hackers linked to Iran, operating under the name Hanadala, publicly claimed to have broken into the personal email inbox of FBI Director Kash Patel, publishing photographs of the director and his alleged resume online. A representative of the United States Department of Justice confirmed to Reuters that Patel's emails had been hacked, but declined to elaborate further. The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters was unable to verify the emails published by Hanadala, but a sample of the material viewed by the news agency appeared to contain a mix of private and business correspondence spanning the years 2010 to 2019. The hack represents a significant intelligence embarrassment for the United States at a moment when the country is engaged in active military operations against Iran. Separately, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed a statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding United States demands in the context of the Iran war as "a lie," according to reporting by Wirtschafts Woche, though the specific content of Zelenskyy's statement and the precise context of Rubio's response were not detailed in available sources.

The Arak heavy water reactor, now known as Chondab, was a central point of contention in international negotiations over Iran's nuclear program for more than a decade. The facility was addressed in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, under which Iran agreed to redesign the reactor to limit its capacity to produce weapons-grade plutonium. The Ardakan uranium conversion facility is part of Iran's broader nuclear fuel cycle infrastructure, processing yellowcake uranium oxide as an early stage in fuel production. The Natanz enrichment complex, struck earlier in the current conflict, has long been considered the heart of Iran's uranium enrichment program and was previously targeted by the Stuxnet cyberattack attributed to the United States and Israel.