Israel attacks Iran's nuclear sites, Revolutionary Guards chief killed
Israel on Friday carried out strikes in Iran, a day before talks between the Islamic Republic and the US about Tehran's escalating uranium enrichment program were set to take place in Oman.
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CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
Snap Insight: US strikes against Iran raise more questions than answers
SINGAPORE: After days of mixed signals, the United States joined in the Israel-Iran war, sending air strikes – including the use of bunker-busting bombs – on Iranian nuclear facilities on Sunday (Jun 22). As the world waits for what comes next, the strikes will likely first kick off a war of narratives. In his televised address, US President Donald Trump celebrated the strikes as ' a spectacular military success ', even if it is unclear what that means and despite US intelligence and the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) assessments that Iran was not developing nuclear weapons. Saying his Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was 'wrong', Mr Trump echoed Israeli claims that Iran was months, if not weeks, away from possessing nuclear weapons. On Saturday, before the strikes, Ms Gabbard tried to reword her position saying that Iran 'can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalise assembly' in a post on X, and that her testimony to the US Congress – that the intelligence community 'continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon' – had been taken out of context. Mr Trump's dismissal of the US intelligence assessment raises questions about who the president listens to: the US intelligence community or Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. HOW SAFE IS IRAN'S ENRICHED URANIUM? While Mr Trump said the three sites – Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan – targeted by the United States have been ' completely and totally obliterated ', Iranian officials asserted that Iran had already pre-emptively transferred its 60 per cent enriched uranium. (To be of weapons grade, uranium must be enriched to at least 90 per cent). "All enriched materials…are in secure locations. We will come out of this war with our hands full,' said Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Major General Mohsen Rezaei. This would make a difference in how far the Iranian nuclear programme is set back, as the US claims. Nuclear facilities can be rebuilt. So the question is how secure those locations where the uranium has supposedly been moved to are. If the death on Friday of an unidentified Iranian nuclear scientist, an alleged weaponisation specialist, is anything to go by, Iran's uranium may be less secure than the country would like the world to believe. Israel said it killed the scientist in a safe house where he was hiding to escape assassination. He was the 10th nuclear expert assassinated by Israel in the last week. Military analysts note that, depending on how deep underground Iran's nuclear facilities are, the US may need several bombings to destroy them at the risk of being sucked into an expanding regional conflagration. Mr Trump suggested, in his address after the strikes, that the United States will launch further attacks against Iran if it refuses to return to nuclear negotiations on his terms, which Iran has repeatedly rejected. IRAN'S CAREFUL RESPONSE Iran is likely to calibrate its response carefully, even as it braces for Israeli follow-up strikes and potentially further US military action. While it is difficult to see Iran forgoing its perceived right to retaliate, it is likely to want to ensure that it does so in a manner that keeps the door open to negotiations. A restrained Iranian response would also cater to advice proffered by its partners, China and Russia, who do not want to see an all-out regional war and are likely to primarily offer Iran political and diplomatic support rather than military participation. Russia and China are sure also to have advised Iran to make good on threats to block the Strait of Hormuz, a major global trade artery through which much of the world's oil and gas supplies flow because this would increase the risk of further intervention in the war by the United States and other Western powers. WILL GROWING CONFLICT REMAIN CONTAINED IN MIDDLE EAST? Middle Eastern states are concerned about the fallout from the US strikes. Gulf states await potential Iranian retaliation against US military and diplomatic facilities on their soil. In addition, they will also be worrying about the potential environmental fallout of the US bunker-busting bombs taking out Iranian nuclear facilities. Türkiye and Iraq dread an expected influx of Iranian refugees if hostilities continue or, even worse, expand. Together with Pakistan, Iraq and Azerbaijan, Türkiye worries about the potential spillover effect of potential unrest among ethnic Iranian minorities like the Kurds, Azeris, Arabs and Baloch that straddle their borders. For their part, Egyptians fear that war is inevitable amid concern that Israel could attempt to drive Gaza's Palestinian population out of the Strip and into Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. Will an expanding conflict remain contained to the Middle East? That will likely depend on whether Iran strikes at US, Israeli or Jewish targets elsewhere in the world. Dr James M Dorsey is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at Nanyang Technological University's S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, and the author of the syndicated column and podcast, The Turbulent World with James M Dorsey.
CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
Israel under missile attack, Iran says all options open after US strikes
JERUSALEM: Israel faced a missile attack on Sunday (Jun 22) as Iran said it reserved all options to defend itself after unprecedented US strikes that President Donald Trump said had "obliterated" its key nuclear facilities. Hours after Trump dramatically escalated Middle East tensions by sending B-2 bombers to Iran, the Israeli military warned people to seek cover from a barrage that appeared heavier than the Iranian salvoes fired in the past few days. "The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences," said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas, calling the US strikes a "grave violation" of the UN charter, international law and the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. "Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people," Araqchi posted on X. Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said it would not allow development of its 'national industry' to be stopped, and an Iranian state television commentator said every US citizen or military member in the region would be legitimate targets. Israel's ambulance service said at least 16 people were hurt in the morning barrage. Air raid sirens sounded across most of the country, sending millions of people to safe rooms and bomb shelters as explosions rang out and missile interceptions were seen above Jerusalem and in other parts of the country. It was not immediately clear how many missiles had pierced Israel's air defence systems, but police confirmed at least three impact sites in residential areas in central and northern Israel. Video from Israel's commercial hub, Tel Aviv and the port city of Haifa, further north, showed rescue teams combing through debris, apartments reduced to rubble, mangled cars along a street filled with debris and medics evacuating injured people from a row of blown-out houses. Most airlines continued to avoid large parts of the Middle East after the US strikes, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, with traffic already skirting airspace in the region due to recent missile exchanges. TRUMP SAYS IRAN FACES "PEACE OR TRAGEDY" Trump, in a televised address to the US people, flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, called the strikes a "spectacular military success" that had taken out Iran's three principal nuclear sites: Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow. He warned Tehran it would face more devastating attacks if it does not agree to peace. After days of deliberation and long before his self-imposed two-week deadline, Trump's decision to join Israel's military campaign against its major rival Iran is the biggest foreign policy gamble of his two presidencies and one fraught with risks and unknowns. The major escalation of armed conflict in the Middle East risks opening a new era of instability in the Middle East. Trump said Iran's future held "either peace or tragedy," and there were many other targets that could be hit by the US military. "If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill." The US contacted Iran diplomatically on Saturday to say the strikes are all the US plans and it does not aim for regime change, CBS News reported. Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity show that six "bunker-buster" bombs were dropped on the deep-underground Fordow facility, while 30 Tomahawk missiles were fired against other nuclear sites. US B-2 bombers were involved in the strikes, a US official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. Reuters had reported the movement of the B-2 bombers, which can be equipped to carry the massive bombs that experts say would be needed to strike Fordow, which is buried beneath a mountain south of Tehran. Given its fortification, it will likely be days, if not longer, before the impact of the strikes is known. An Iranian official, cited by Tasnim news agency, confirmed part of the Fordow site was attacked by "enemy airstrikes." However, Mohammad Manan Raisi, a lawmaker for Qom, near Fordow, told the semi-official Fars news agency the facility had not been seriously damaged. A reporter from Iranian state media IRNA reporter said he had arrived near the Fordow site at 3am local time and saw smoke that "seems to be related to air defences". He quoted a nearby witness as reporting "six explosions were heard, but they said it wasn't very loud.' DIPLOMATIC FAILURE The UN nuclear watchdog said no increases in off-site radiation levels had been reported after the US strikes. Hassan Abedini, deputy political head of Iran's state broadcaster, said Iran had evacuated the three sites some time ago. "The enriched uranium reserves had been transferred from the nuclear centres and there are no materials left there that, if targeted, would cause radiation and be harmful to our compatriots," he told the channel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump on his "bold decision", saying, "History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world's most dangerous regime, the world's most dangerous weapons." Israel and Iran have been engaged in more than a week of aerial combat that has resulted in deaths and injuries in both countries. Israel launched its attacks on Jun 13, saying Iran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only. Israel is widely assumed to possess nuclear weapons, which it neither confirms nor denies. Diplomatic efforts by Western nations to stop the hostilities have so far failed. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the US strikes a "dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security." In the US, Democratic lawmakers and some from Trump's Republican Party have argued that he must receive permission from Congress before committing the US military to any combat against Iran. At least 430 people have been killed and 3,500 injured in Iran since Israel began its attacks, Iranian state-run Nour News said, citing the health ministry. In Israel, 24 civilians have been killed and 1,272 people injured, according to local authorities.
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Israel under missile attack, Iran says all options open after US strikes
Rescue personnel evacuate a resident from under a building at an impacted site after a missile attack from Iran, amid the Iran-Israel conflict in Tel Aviv, Israel June 22, 2025. REUTERS/Tomer Appelbaum ISRAEL OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN ISRAEL. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Emergency personnel look at the damage at an impact site following Iran's strike on Israel, amid the Iran-Israel conflict, in Haifa, Israel, June 22, 2025. REUTERS/Florion Goga A rescuer evacuates a dog from an impacted site after a missile attack from Iran, amid the Iran-Israel conflict in Tel Aviv, Israel June 22, 2025. REUTERS/Tomer Appelbaum ISRAEL OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN ISRAEL. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Emergency personnel work at an impact site following a missile attack from Iran on Israel, amid the Iran-Israel conflict, in Tel Aviv, Israel, June 22, 2025. REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura Israel under missile attack, Iran says all options open after US strikes JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON - Israel faced a missile attack on Sunday as Iran said it reserved all options to defend itself after unprecedented U.S. strikes that President Donald Trump said had "obliterated" its key nuclear facilities. Hours after Trump dramatically escalated Middle East tensions by sending B-2 bombers to Iran, the Israeli military warned people to seek cover from a barrage that appeared heavier than the Iranian salvoes fired in the past few days. "The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences," said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas, calling the U.S. strikes a "grave violation" of the U.N. charter, international law and the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. "Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people," Araqchi posted on X. Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said it would not allow development of its 'national industry' to be stopped, and an Iranian state television commentator said every U.S. citizen or military member in the region would be legitimate targets. Israel's ambulance service said at least 16 people were hurt in the morning barrage. Air raid sirens sounded across most of the country, sending millions of people to safe rooms and bomb shelters as explosions rang out and missile interceptions were seen above Jerusalem and in other parts of the country. It was not immediately clear how many missiles had pierced Israel's air defence systems, but police confirmed at least three impact sites in residential areas in central and northern Israel. Video from Israel's commercial hub Tel Aviv and the port city of Haifa further north showed rescue teams combing through debris, apartments reduced to rubble, mangled cars along a street filled with debris and medics evacuating injured people from a row of blown out houses. Most airlines continued to avoid large parts of the Middle East after the U.S. strikes, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, with traffic already skirting airspace in the region due to recent missile exchanges. TRUMP SAYS IRAN FACES 'PEACE OR TRAGEDY' Trump, in a televised address to the U.S. people, flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, called the strikes a "spectacular military success" that had taken out Iran's three principal nuclear sites: Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow. He warned Tehran it would face more devastating attacks if it does not agree to peace. After days of deliberation and long before his self-imposed two-week deadline, Trump's decision to join Israel's military campaign against its major rival Iran is the biggest foreign policy gamble of his two presidencies and one fraught with risks and unknowns. The major escalation of armed conflict in the Middle East risks opening a new era of instability in the Middle East. Trump said Iran's future held "either peace or tragedy," and there were many other targets that could be hit by the U.S. military. "If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill." The U.S. contacted Iran diplomatically on Saturday to say the strikes are all the U.S. plans and it does not aim for regime change, CBS News reported. Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity show that six "bunker-buster" bombs were dropped on the deep-underground Fordow facility, while 30 Tomahawk missiles were fired against other nuclear sites. U.S. B-2 bombers were involved in the strikes, a U.S. official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. Reuters had reported the movement of the B-2 bombers, which can be equipped to carry the massive bombs that experts say would be needed to strike Fordow, which is buried beneath a mountain south of Tehran. Given its fortification, it will likely be days, if not longer, before the impact of the strikes is known. An Iranian official, cited by Tasnim news agency, confirmed part of the Fordow site was attacked by "enemy airstrikes." However, Mohammad Manan Raisi, a lawmaker for Qom, near Fordow, told the semi-official Fars news agency the facility had not been seriously damaged. A reporter from Iranian state media IRNA reporter said he had arrived near the Fordow site at 3 a.m. (2330 GMT on Saturday) and saw smoke that "seems to be related to air defences". He quoted a nearby witness as reporting "six explosions were heard, but they said it wasn't very loud.' DIPLOMATIC FAILURE The U.N. nuclear watchdog said no increases in off-site radiation levels had been reported after the U.S. strikes. Hassan Abedini, deputy political head of Iran's state broadcaster, said Iran had evacuated the three sites some time ago. "The enriched uranium reserves had been transferred from the nuclear centres and there are no materials left there that, if targeted, would cause radiation and be harmful to our compatriots," he told the channel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump on his "bold decision", saying, "History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world's most dangerous regime, the world's most dangerous weapons." Israel and Iran have been engaged in more than a week of aerial combat that has resulted in deaths and injuries in both countries. Israel launched its attacks on June 13, saying Iran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only. Israel is widely assumed to possess nuclear weapons, which it neither confirms nor denies. Diplomatic efforts by Western nations to stop the hostilities have so far failed. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the U.S. strikes a "dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security." In the U.S., Democratic lawmakers and some from Trump's Republican Party have argued that he must receive permission from Congress before committing the U.S. military to any combat against Iran. At least 430 people have been killed and 3,500 injured in Iran since Israel began its attacks, Iranian state-run Nour News said, citing the health ministry. In Israel, 24 civilians have been killed and 1,272 people injured, according to local authorities. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
