Israel caused heavy damage to a secret Iranian nuclear facility

Israel attacked a secret Iranian facility during the counteroffensive carried out late last October, according to a report published by Axios on Friday, which is based on statements made by Israeli and U.S. officials and former officials.

Following the offensive, carried out on Oct. 26, Israel claimed it bombed 20 Iranian targets, including military facilities, missile production systems and surface-to-air missiles. Iran indicated that it successfully contained most of the Israeli attack and that only minor damage had occurred. However, a Fox News report recently indicated that the Jewish state managed to destroy most of Iran's anti-aircraft defense systems.

According to the U.S. media outlet, the operation, carried out by the Israeli Air Force, also caused significant damage to the Taleghan 2 facility, located in a military complex some 12 miles southeast of Tehran, Iran's capital.

While it had previously been reported that the nuclear facility was no longer active, the bombing greatly damaged the development of Iran's nuclear program, Israeli and U.S. officials said.

The sources added that Iran was compelled not to make statements about the extent of the attack, as it would imply an acknowledgment that it violated the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The facility was estimated to have been part of Iran's Amad nuclear weapons program until 2003. It was then used to test explosives needed to detonate a nuclear device. According to the report, Israel destroyed the equipment needed to design such explosives.