World News | What to Know About Iran's Nuclear Sites

Dubai, Jun 13 (AP) Israel attacked multiple Iranian nuclear and military sites on Friday as tensions reached new heights over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme.

Israeli leaders said the attack was necessary to head off what they claimed was an imminent threat that Iran would build nuclear bombs. Iran long has insisted its programme is peaceful and US intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran was not actively pursuing the bomb.

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The attack came one day after the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors censured Iran for the first time in 20 years for not working with its inspectors. Iran immediately announced it would establish a third enrichment site in the country and swap out some centrifuges for more-advanced ones.

The US and Iran had been in talks that could have resulted in the US lifting some of its crushing economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran drastically limiting or ending its enrichment of uranium.

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Here's a look at some major Iranian sites and their importance in Tehran's programme.

Natanz enrichment facility

Iran's nuclear facility at Natanz, located some 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran, is the country's main enrichment site.

Part of the facility on Iran's Central Plateau is underground to defend against potential airstrikes. It operates multiple cascades, or groups of centrifuges working together to more quickly enrich uranium.

Iran also is burrowing into the Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, or Pickax Mountain, which is just beyond Natanz's southern fencing. Natanz has been targeted by the Stuxnet virus, believed to be an Israeli and American creation, which destroyed Iranian centrifuges. Two separate sabotage attacks, attributed to Israel, also have struck the facility.

Fordo enrichment facility

Iran's nuclear facility at Fordo is located some 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Tehran. It also hosts centrifuge cascades, but isn't as big a facility as Natanz.

Buried under a mountain and protected by anti-aircraft batteries, Fordo appears designed to withstand airstrikes.

Its construction began at least in 2007, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, although Iran only informed the UN nuclear watchdog about the facility in 2009 after the US and allied Western intelligence agencies became aware of its existence.

Bushehr nuclear power plant

Iran's on