Washington Identifies Potential Iran Targets
The target list includes Fordow's uranium enrichment facility in Qom and the Arak heavy water plant, research centers linked to Malek Ashtar and Imam Hussein universities, electricity and gas facilities, and critical transport networks including railways and bridges.
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - American reports supported by satellite imagery analysis have identified a list of potential targets in Iran in the event of a resumption of the war, covering nuclear, military, and strategic capabilities, as President Trump said Saturday he is considering striking Iran and it may happen as soon as the day after the November 3 midterm elections, with the Pentagon having presented him with a range of options.
The Nuclear Sites
The Jabbal Al-Fa's nuclear complex leads the list of potential targets due to its proximity to the Natanz enrichment facility, its deeply underground location, its continued operation, and the extreme difficulty of destroying it. The complex's subterranean depth makes it resistant to conventional munitions, which is consistent with the Wall Street Journal's report that standoff land attack missiles and bunker buster bombs recently arrived aboard the USS George Washington in the Arabian Sea, suggesting American forces are specifically preparing for hardened underground targets.
Fordow, Iran's uranium enrichment facility in Qom Province, is also on the list of potential targets despite having been struck in previous operations. The Arak heavy water reactor facility in western Iran similarly remains a potential target despite previous strikes, reflecting the partial nature of the damage inflicted in earlier rounds and Iran's documented efforts to restore and expand its nuclear infrastructure.
Research And Development Facilities
Research centers affiliated with Malek Ashtar University of Technology and Imam Hussein University in Tehran are among the sites potentially to be targeted for their connection to military and nuclear research and development activities. Both institutions have long been identified by Western intelligence agencies as linked to Iran's weapons development programmes, and their inclusion in a target list reflects Washington's stated objective of permanently eliminating Iran's nuclear weapons capability rather than merely setting it back temporarily.
Energy And Communications Infrastructure
Electricity and gas facilities are identified as sensitive potential targets alongside critical transport networks including railways and bridges. The targeting of energy infrastructure reflects the broader economic warfare dimension of any resumed military campaign, consistent with the approach taken in Operation Rising Lion in June 2025 and subsequent strikes, and would compound the already severe economic damage inflicted on Iran through Operation Economic Outcast's sanctions and blockade, under which Treasury Secretary Bessent confirmed no oil loading has occurred at Kharg Island since August and Iran has no oil shipments at sea.
The breadth of the target list, spanning nuclear facilities, military research centers, energy infrastructure, and transport networks, reflects the Pentagon options Trump has been briefed on, which officials said range from striking nuclear facilities and infrastructure such as bridges to conducting assaults on Iranian-controlled islands in the Gulf.