Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel's air attack on Iran last month hit an element of Tehran's nuclear programme while degrading its defence and missile production capabilities.

The strike significantly damaged Iran's effort to resume nuclear weapons research, Israeli and U.S. officials said.

Iran-sanctioned attacks on U.S. personnel has surged since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel as Iran may pressure Washington to ease Israel's fight against Hamas and Hezbollah.

Israeli airstrikes in late October reportedly destroyed Talegahn 2, a covert Iranian nuclear research facility near Tehran, according to U.S. and Israeli sources. The strikes were initially thought to target air defense systems but may have dealt a significant blow to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

An Israeli airstrike on October 25 destroyed Iran’s Taleghan 2 facility in the Parchin military complex, dealing a significant blow to the country’s nuclear weapons research.