Israel strikes Iran’s Fordow nuclear site, triggers 2.5-magnitude earthquake

Explosions took place near Iran's Fordow nuclear site (Reuters Image)

As the Israel-Iran conflict entered its fourth consecutive day, loud explosions were heard near Fordow nuclear facility, accompanied by noticeable ground tremors that triggered a minor earthquake measuring 2.5 on the Richter scale.

Videos posted by Iran International English showed massive blasts at around 20 kilometers from the city of Qom.

Witness reports suggest several loud explosions near the Fordow nuclear site, with noticeable ground tremors.
This video appears to show the blasts around 20 kilometers from the city of Qom.pic.twitter.com/k6DTY1kh8j Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) June 15, 2025

EARTHQUAKE HITS NEAR IRANS FORDOW SITEA magnitude 2.5 quake struck Qom Province just as Israeli strikes were reported in the area.The tremor occurred near the Fordow nuclear facility but was deep enough to suggest natural origins.Still, the timing raises eyebrows as https://t.co/Z9Ytwnmhta pic.twitter.com/0Qu6ZAdCut Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) June 15, 2025

Earlier, UN atomic agency chief Rafael Grossi confirmed that Israel struck the Fordow enrichment plant on Friday, the first day of the conflict indicating that Israel has targeted three key sites of Iran’s nuclear program, according to The Wall Street Journal.

"At present, the Iranian authorities are informing us of attacks on two other facilities, namely the Fordow fuel enrichment plant, and at Isfahan, (where a) fuel plate fabrication plant, a fuel manufacturing plant, a uranium conversion facility... are located," IAEA nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the UN Security Council.

In last week's attacks, Israel targeted the Natanz enrichment site, while separate strikes hit the Isfahan Nuclear Facility and the Uranium Conversion Center.

With this, Israel became the first country to hit all three major nuclear sites (Natanz, Isfahan, Fordow).

According to Israel’s Kan News, satellite imagery revealed substantial damage at Iran’s Natanz enrichment facility, including its power station.

Meanwhile, recent reports indicated that an Iranian ballistic missile hit the Haifa oil refinery in Israel. This follows a day after Israeli strikes targeted key energy and nuclear infrastructure in Iran, marking a sharp escalation in the ongoing conflict between the two countries.