Nuclear Sites vs. Reactors: What’s the Difference?

Iran’s nuclear infrastructure is a complex web of industrial-scale facilities and reactors spread across the country, some public, others hidden in fortified mountains.

At its core is Natanz, Iran’s main uranium enrichment center, housing over 16,000 centrifuges. Then there’s Fordo, buried 80 meters beneath a mountain near Qom, designed for high-level enrichment and protected from airstrikes.

On the Gulf coast lies Bushehr, the only nuclear reactor currently generating electricity, up to 1,000 megawatts. Khondab, a heavy-water reactor in central Iran, was restructured under the 2015 nuclear deal to serve peaceful purposes.

But Parchin, a military facility near Tehran, has raised the most red flags. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it may have been used for high-explosive tests related to nuclear weapons.

While Tehran insists its nuclear program is for civilian energy and medical use, its refusal to grant full access to international inspectors has fueled skepticism. With growing regional tensions, Iran’s nuclear web remains a central point of geopolitical friction, pushing calls for transparency, de-escalation, and diplomacy to the forefront.