
US attacks Iran: What are the Islamic Republic's options?
The US launched a surprise bombing attack on three Iranian nuclear facilities late on Saturday, bringing America directly into Israel's war against the Islamic Republic.
Donald Trump said the air strikes had "completely and totally obliterated" the Fordow, Natanz and the Isfahan sites, in an effort to disable the Islamic Republic's nuclear enrichment capability.
As of 11am GMT, it remained unclear whether the Fordow plant, buried deep under a mountain and protected by anti-aircraft batteries, was partially or completely destroyed.
Al Jazeera Arabic reported that Washington had notified Tehran in advance of the strikes, and that the targeted sites were evacuated.
Meanwhile, Amwaj Media, citing an Iranian political source, reported that "most" of Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium were kept in secure locations outside of the three targeted areas.
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Iran has threatened to retaliate against the American attacks, and on Sunday issued a warning that "every American soldier and citizen in the region is a legitimate target".
With the situation still developing, Middle East Eye takes a look at what options are on the table for Iran.
Attacks on US assets
The US has a range of military bases across the Middle East.
Key bases are located in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Syria, Bahrain and Iraq.
Following the strikes on Iran, a commentator on Iran's IRIB state broadcaster said that every American citizen and soldier in the region was a "legitimate target" and aired a map showing US bases in the region.
"You started it and we'll finish it," he said.
Kuwait's finance ministry said on Sunday that it had set up shelters in the country's ministries complex.
The shelters can accommodate around 900 people, the ministry said in a statement on X.
Withdraw from Non-Proliferation Treaty
The US attack on Iran has led some Iranian lawmakers to call for withdrawing from the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which promotes disarmament and the use of peaceful nuclear energy.
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The National
17 minutes ago
- The National
US attack on Iran could spark 'rat hole of retaliation', UN Secretary General warns
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He added that Iran has indicated there has been no increase in radiation levels near the three sites. 'I am ready to travel immediately and to engage with all relevant parties to help ensure the protection of nuclear facilities and the continued peaceful uses of nuclear technology in accordance with the agency's mandate,' Mr Grossi said. He said that the International Atomic Energy Agency was ready to send nuclear safety and security experts to Iran immediately. He warned of the consequences that might be felt as a result of the US strikes should Iran respond militarily. 'Let us not allow the window to close on diplomacy,' Mr Grossi said. The UK and France said that while they continue to agree that Iran must not be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon, they did not take any part in planning or carrying out the US attack on Iran's nuclear sites on Saturday. They also pushed for diplomacy to prevail, and urged Iran not to worsen the situation. China strongly condemned the US strikes. 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Gulf Today
an hour ago
- Gulf Today
Pakistan condemns Trump's bombing of Iran — a day after nominating him for Peace Prize
Tariq Butt, Gulf Today Correspondent / Reuters Pakistan condemned on Sunday the strikes ordered on its neighbour Iran by Donald Trump, a day after Islamabad had said it would nominate the US President for the Nobel Peace Prize. Pakistan on Sunday said Trump's decision to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities violated international law and that diplomacy was the only way to resolve the Iran crisis. "The unprecedented escalation of tension and violence, owing to ongoing aggression against Iran is deeply disturbing. Any further escalation of tensions will have severely damaging implications for the region and beyond," Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Shiite activists hold placards to condemn US and Israel's attacks on Iran, during a protest in Karachi on Sunday. AFP Also on Sunday, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif telephoned Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and "conveyed Pakistan's condemnation of the U.S. attacks," a statement from the Pakistani leader said. Pakistan's information minister and the foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment on the apparent contradiction in the country's positions over the weekend. In Pakistan's biggest city, Karachi, thousands marched in protest against the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Shiites hold portraits of Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to condemn US and Israel's attacks on Iran, during a protest in Karachi. AFP A large American flag with a picture of Trump on it was placed on the road for demonstrators to walk over. The protesters shouted out chants against America, Israel and Pakistan's regional enemy India. Pakistan on Saturday said it was nominating Trump as "a genuine peacemaker" for his role in bringing a four-day conflict with India to an end last month. It said he had "demonstrated great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship." Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar has formally sent a letter of recommendation to the Nobel Committee in Norway, nominating US President Donald Trump for the Nobel peace prize. Officials said the letter cited Trump's role in defusing tensions between Pakistan and India earlier this year. The move recognises Trump's efforts in bringing about a ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed neighbours and for highlighting the Kashmir dispute on the international stage. The development comes after the government's announcement, made earlier on social media, of its decision to formally nominate Trump for the world's most prestigious peace award. Pakistani nationals who were residing in Iran, arrive with their belongings in Quetta. AFP In a statement issued on X, the federal government said that the international community had witnessed "unprovoked and unlawful Indian aggression," which it described as a "grave violation" of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The attack, according to the statement, resulted in the "tragic loss of innocent lives, including women, children, and the elderly." In response, Pakistan launched Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos - a "measured, resolute, and precise military" countermeasure. The operation, Pakistan stressed, was executed to re-establish deterrence and defend its territorial integrity while "consciously avoiding civilian harm." Amid the heightened tensions, the statement noted that President Trump "demonstrated great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship" by engaging diplomatically with both Islamabad and New Delhi. This effort, it added, helped de-escalate the rapidly worsening situation, secured a ceasefire, and prevented a wider regional conflict. The government hailed Trump's actions as those of a "genuine peacemaker" with a firm commitment to resolving conflict through dialogue.