Isfahan / Natanz — Iran’s nuclear heartland has been rocked by a chain of violent explosions near the strategic Isfahan–Natanz corridor, as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps scrambles to hold the line against what Tehran is calling the combined onslaught of America’s “Epic Fury” and Israel’s “Roaring Lion” air campaign.

Residents around Isfahan reported blinding flashes over nearby mountains, followed by shockwaves that rattled windows and set off car alarms for kilometres. Amateur video shows orange fireballs blooming near suspected underground facilities and mysterious shafts long believed to be linked to Natanz’s sprawling enrichment complex. Authorities insist the blasts were the result of “air-defence interceptions,” but the scale of the fires tells a darker story.

Western officials claim a joint US–Israeli strike package targeted IRGC missile brigades, air-defence nodes and logistics hubs that shield Natanz, using stealth aircraft, stand‑off missiles and cyberattacks to punch holes in Iran’s protective ring. Drones loitering high above reportedly fed real‑time imagery as follow‑on waves hammered any surviving launchers and radar sites that dared to power up.

The IRGC says it has “repelled the aggression” and shot down multiple drones and cruise missiles, vowing that “any hand stretched toward Natanz will be burned to the elbow.” Yet reports from inside Iran speak of frantic evacuations, communications blackouts and senior officers racing between hardened bunkers as they try to assess which units are still combat-capable.

Analysts warn that by taking the fight to the doorstep of Isfahan and Natanz, Washington and Jerusalem have signalled they are prepared to gamble directly with Iran’s most sensitive assets. For Tehran, the choice is stark: absorb the blows and risk losing deterrence, or hit back even harder and risk turning a shadow war over nuclear sites into an uncontrollable regional inferno.