Iran To Build New Uranium Site After IAEA Censure; Tehran Threatens U.S. Bases If Attacked
TOI.in
/ Jun 12, 2025, 10:54PM IST
Iran has announced plans to open a new high-security uranium enrichment facility following an IAEA resolution declaring it in violation of nuclear safeguards. Tehran's nuclear chief confirmed advanced centrifuge upgrades at Fordo and plans to triple enrichment capability. This comes amid escalating tensions, as Iran warns it will target all U.S. bases if attacked. Watch
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Time of India
9 minutes ago
- Time of India
West Asia again on boil: How Israel's Operation Rising Lion unfolded
Israel has been threatening to strike Iran's nuclear facilities for years. It finally did on Friday morning, also hitting ballistic missile sites and taking out Iran's top military brass and several nuclear scientists. Dubbed 'Operation Rising Lion,' the attack reportedly came in waves, involved over 200 Israeli Air Force aircraft that dropped over 330 munitions on around 100 targets across Iran. Here's the lowdown on how the unprecedented strikes unfolded. Timing: The strikes came just after the IAEA published a resolution that declared Iran wasn't complying with its nuclear non proliferation obligations. Israel has long advocated a military solution for what it says is Iran's determination to acquire a nuclear bomb – something Tehran denies vehemently. The strikes were also preceded by US pulling out some personnel from the region. Therefore, everyone, including Tehran, knew something was coming. But the scope and nature were unknown. The feint: There were some doubts whether the strikes would happen this week, thanks to some misdirection. First, US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Israel won't attack Iran without a US greenlight. And since Washington was negotiating with Tehran over the latter's nuclear programme, this was taken to mean that the possibility of a strike was remote. Second, Trump himself played along and indicated that he was against Israeli strikes at this point. However, all of this was a feint as Trump, after the strikes, threatened Iran with further Israeli attacks – with American weapons – should Tehran refuse a fresh deal over its nuclear programme. The sucker punch: What seems to have caught Iranian authorities by surprise is that Israel's Mossad appeared to have struck the first blow in the strikes by launching attacks from within Iran on Tehran's air defence and ballistic missile launchers. Mossad reportedly set up a covert drone base inside Iranian territory for the purpose and smuggled in equipment. The tactic appears to be similar to what the Ukrainians recently did with their Operation Spiderweb where drones were smuggled deep into Russia and used to wreak havoc on Moscow's strategic bomber fleet at four different airbases. Once Iran's air defence and ballistic launchers were crippled from within, it allowed the Israeli Air Force to easily establish aerial dominance. It came in waves: The strikes were unprecedented in scale. IRGC commander-in-chief Major General Hossein Salami was killed alongside armed forces chief General Mohammad Bagheri. Strikes took place on Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment facility, Parchin military complex and the Khorramabad ballistic missile base. Six Iranian nuclear scientists have also been killed in the attacks. Iranian response: Iran has vowed a harsh response and said that the attack on its nuclear facilities is a declaration of war. Hitherto, Iran launched around 100 drones against Israel in retaliation for the strikes. But there is little indication of any damage to Israel. However, this is likely to be just the opening salvo. A stronger response from Iran is expected, which in turn could lead to escalatory military exchanges, putting the entire region on edge. Both Tel Aviv and Tehran have been signalling this round of conflict is unlikely to wind up quickly. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
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Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
No sign of breach detected at Iran's key nuclear enrichment site in Natanz
The United Nations atomic watchdog said there's no indication of increased radiation levels at Iran's main uranium-enrichment site, an early sign that Israel's strikes haven't penetrated the containment layers protecting the Islamic Republic's nuclear stockpile. Iranian authorities told the International Atomic Energy Agency they haven't observed higher radiation doses at the Natanz facility, located about 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of Tehran. No radiological or chemical contamination has spread beyond the site, according to an IAEA statement. 'Radiation levels outside the Natanz facility remained unchanged,' IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi wrote on X. 'The type of radioactive contamination present inside the facility, mainly alpha particles, can be managed with appropriate protective measures.' Israel hasn't carried out raids against Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant on the shore of the Persian Gulf, the authorities said. Neither Iran's heavily-protected enrichment site at Fordow, 200 kilometers south of Tehran, or its uranium-conversion facility, 400 kilometers south of the capital, were hit, Gross wrote earlier. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the attacks 'will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.' The Israeli Air Force said in a statement that the Natanz strike hit an underground multistory chamber with centrifuges, electrical rooms and other infrastructure. Targets included equipment key to the site functioning, it said. Only the strongest conventional munitions are capable of penetrating Iran's enrichment sites. The Natanz facility was built more than 40 meters (131 feet) underground and is protected by a steel and concrete shell, which researchers estimate to be some 8 meters thick. Similarly in Fordow, the enrichment hall is built into the side of a mountain. After a recent visit, Grossi estimated the hall is a half kilometer below the surface. Addressing the agency's board of governors in Vienna, which convened this week to discuss Iran's nuclear work, Grossi said he's 'deeply concerned' by Israel's military action. The attack breaches international legal norms, Grossi said, urging 'maximum restraint' by both countries. 'Nuclear facilities must never be attacked, regardless of the context or circumstances, as it could harm both people and the environment,' Grossi told the IAEA's board of governors on Friday, in his first detailed assessment of the attacks. 'Such attacks have serious implications for nuclear safety, security and safeguards, as well as regional and international peace and security.' There are still plentiful above-ground targets including power lines, transformers, labs and testing facilities. Choking off the flow of electricity is likely to have already forced Iran to begin the procedure of bringing centrifuges to a halt — that process to stop the machines, which spin at supersonic speeds to separate uranium isotopes, can take days. The IAEA said in a statement that its inspectors are still in the country, and it's in touch with Iranian authorities about potential radiation releases. Iran warned the agency in a May 22 diplomatic note that it would take 'special measures' to protect its stockpile of nuclear material in the event of an Israeli strike. Last year, the agency conducted more than 400 inspections in Iran, keeping track of the Islamic Republic's uranium stockpile to gram levels.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
IDF Releases Dramatic Footage Of Israeli Navy Intercepting Iranian UAVs
Last Updated: The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, with Israel bracing for further drone barrages in response to its strikes on Iranian territory. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday released video footage showing its navy's missile boats successfully intercepting unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) launched from Iran over Mediterranean waters. The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, with Israel bracing for further drone barrages in response to its strikes on Iranian territory. In a statement accompanying the footage, the IDF said the interceptions were conducted 'by missile boats"—underscoring the capability of its multi-layered maritime defence systems ⭕️ WATCH: The Israeli Navy intercepting UAVs launched from Iran by missile boats: — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 13, 2025 Israel carried out a series of strikes across Iran on Friday, hitting military installations and sites linked to its nuclear program. The attacks reportedly killed at least three military officers, sharply escalating the risk of a full-scale war between the long-standing regional rivals. Among the dead were three of Iran's most senior military figures: General Mohammad Bagheri, who commanded the entire armed forces; General Hossein Salami, head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard; and General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who led the Guard's ballistic missile program. It is being described as the most serious assault on Iranian territory since the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council will convene an emergency meeting on Friday at 3:00 pm (12:30 am Saturday IST) in response to Israel's recent airstrikes on Iran, announced the Council's current presidency, Guyana. According to a diplomatic source, the meeting was requested by Iran and backed by Russia and China. First Published: June 13, 2025, 21:12 IST
