Khondab
Khondab is a strategic site in central Iran housing the Arak heavy water reactor (IR-40), a critical component of the Iranian nuclear program capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium.
Khondab, located in the Markazi Province near the city of Arak, is home to one of Iran's most sensitive nuclear infrastructures: the Khondab Heavy Water Production Plant and the adjacent IR-40 heavy water reactor. The facility has long been a focal point of international concern because heavy water reactors can produce plutonium as a byproduct, providing an alternative pathway to a nuclear weapon alongside uranium enrichment. Under the 2015 JCPOA agreement, Iran was required to reconfigure the reactor to prevent it from producing weapons-grade plutonium, but the site remains a high-value strategic asset and a primary target for those seeking to disrupt Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
In 2026, Khondab became a central theater in the escalating kinetic confrontation between Iran and its adversaries. Reports in July 2026 indicated that the facility was targeted by projectiles, resulting in significant damage. This was later corroborated by a draft report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in September 2026. The IAEA utilized satellite imagery to confirm physical damage at the plant following an attack on March 27.
The situation at Khondab reflects a broader collapse of international oversight. Since February 2026, the IAEA has been unable to conduct verification activities at the site, leading to a total information blackout regarding the status of nuclear materials. The agency has officially acknowledged that it can no longer verify that materials from Khondab are not being diverted for military purposes, marking a critical failure in the global nuclear watchdog's ability to monitor the Iranian regime's progress toward a nuclear breakout.