Israel strikes Tehran, Fordo nuclear site
Loud explosions rocked Tehran on Monday, June 23, as Israel said it struck "regime targets" in the city, escalating tensions a day after US air strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. Iran, in turn, fired missile barrages at Israel as both sides intensified attacks on the war's 11 th day.
An Iranian news agency said Israel also struck Fordo – a key nuclear enrichment facility buried deep in the mountains south of Tehran. The previous day, the United States hit the site with "bunker buster" bombs in support of its ally Israel.
"The aggressor attacked the Fordo nuclear site again," the Tasnim agency reported, quoting a provincial official. President Donald Trump boasted Sunday's US strikes had "obliterated" Iran's nuclear capabilities, but other officials said it was too soon to assess the impact on Iran's nuclear program, which Israel and some Western states consider an existential threat.
The Israeli military said it had struck missile sites in western Iran, "six Iranian regime airports" across the country, and unspecified "military targets" in the capital. Defense Minister Israel Katz said the Israeli military was "carrying out strikes of unprecedented force against regime targets and agencies of government oppression in the heart of Tehran," adding to speculation that Israel may seek to topple Iran's clerical leadership.
Iranian media said Israel's strikes hit a power supply system in Tehran, triggering outages. In Israel, the national electricity company reported "damage near a strategic infrastructure facility" in the south that disrupted power supply, without naming the location or specifying the cause.
In Israel, aerial assaults raged on, with sirens sounding across the country and Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalists reporting blasts were heard over Jerusalem.
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France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Military bases or vital waterway: Iran weighs response to US strikes
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France 24
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Euronews
an hour ago
- Euronews
The dollar sees a rebound after US strikes Iran, but can it continue?
The dollar rose on Monday as uncertainty over the Israel Iran conflict persisted following US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend. By around 2.45 CEST, the Dollar Index had risen 0.61% in daily trading to 99.31. Over the month, it showed a 0.19% increase, although its year-to-date value was still down almost 9%, failing to win back losses linked to erratic policies from the Trump administration. US President Donald Trump said that the weekend strikes had caused 'monumental damage', although some Iranian officials downplayed the impact. The full extent of the damage could not immediately be determined by the UN's nuclear watchdog. Israel — meanwhile — continued with its strikes on Iran on Monday, while Tehran vowed that it would 'never surrender to bullying and oppression'. Several nations warned Iran against a retaliatory closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a shipping lane responsible for around 20% of global oil and gas flows. 'In this morning's trading session, the dollar staged an expected rebound. The demonstration of US military strength, as well as the fear of higher oil prices, weakened the euro,' said ING economists in a note. Higher oil prices would likely drive up inflation and discourage the US Federal Reserve from cutting rates in the near future. This would spell bad news for US consumers but would simultaneously increase the dollar's attractiveness to investors. 'Looking ahead, one of the key questions is whether US involvement in the conflict could restore the dollar's safe-haven appeal. Here, a crucial factor will be the duration of any potential Strait of Hormuz blockade. The longer such a blockade lasts, the higher the likelihood that the value of safe-haven alternatives like the euro and yen is eroded, and the dollar can enjoy a decent recovery,' said ING economists. The greenback's value has dropped significantly this year as policies from the Trump administration have spooked investors, damaging the currency's status as a safe-haven asset. Signals worrying investors are not solely linked to trade policy, but also include a high US deficit, the cost-slashing bureau DOGE, sudden cuts to foreign aid, withdrawals from international treaties, and the prospect of financial deregulation. Greg Hirt, chief investment officer with Allianz Global Investors, told Euronews that 'structural issues around a twin deficit and the Trump administration's volatile handling of tariffs should continue to weigh on an overvalued US dollar'. Even so, he noted that the 'short term potential for higher oil prices will likely affect the Chinese and European economies to a greater extent, as they are more dependent on oil imports than the US'. Ryan Sweet, chief US economist at Oxford Economics, reiterated this point, noting that 'the US economy is essentially energy independent but others are not, including Japan as it imports most of its oil from the Middle East'. Sweet told Euronews that dollar gains are positive but still muted as 'currency markets are in a wait and see mode'. There is also significant uncertainty around President Trump's tariff deadline, with a 90-day pause on so-called 'reciprocal' duties set to expire on 9 July.
