
US attacks Iranian nuclear sites – DW – 06/22/2025
US strikes on Iran's nuclear sites have dramatically escalated the war between Israel and Iran. Washington has threatened more strikes while Tehran has launched new missiles against Israel.
The US has bombed three of Iran's key nuclear sites in Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz, following Israeli strikes on Iran which have lasted for over a week, prompting a war between the two countries.
Washington has threatened more strikes while Tehran has vowed to retaliate and launched several waves of missiles against Israel following the US strikes.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


See - Sada Elbalad
5 minutes ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
Iran Considers Closure of Strait of Hormuz
Israa Farhan Iran may move to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz following preliminary approval by its parliament, though final authorization is still pending from the country's Supreme National Security Council, according to Iranian state media. The decision, if implemented, would mark a significant escalation in regional tensions, particularly after the recent US airstrike targeting Iranian nuclear facilities. While Iran's parliament has reportedly agreed in principle to the closure, official confirmation from top national security authorities has yet to be issued. State-run Press TV reported on Sunday that the move to shut the strait remains contingent upon a final green light from the Supreme National Security Council. The announcement follows rising regional instability and growing speculation about Iran's possible retaliation. Senior Iranian lawmaker and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Esmail Kowsari stated that closing the strait remains a viable option under active consideration. According to comments carried by the Young Journalists Club, he confirmed that the decision will be made if necessary, with all strategic responses still on the table. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints, through which approximately 20 percent of global oil and gas exports transit. Located between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, the narrow passage is vital for the export of hydrocarbons from key producers such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE, and Iran itself. Any disruption to this vital corridor would pose serious risks to international energy markets and could trigger broader geopolitical conflict. Historically, the strait has been a flashpoint during periods of tension between Iran and the United States and its allies. The renewed debate over the strait's status emerged just hours after the US carried out airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear sites early Sunday morning. The strikes prompted strong condemnation from Tehran and warnings of serious strategic consequences. Iran has previously threatened to block the strait in response to sanctions or military aggression, though it has never followed through on the threat. However, analysts warn that a full closure would likely provoke an immediate and far-reaching military and economic crisis in the Gulf region and beyond. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean News 3 Killed in Shooting Attack in Thailand


Atlantic
8 minutes ago
- Atlantic
Inside the Plot to Push Khamenei Aside
America's Saturday night attacks on Iran have amplified an ever-more open debate in Tehran over the future of the country and whether Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should remain in power. In the days leading up to the American intervention, a group of Iranian businessmen, political and military figures, and relatives of high-ranking clerics had begun hatching a plan for running Iran without Khamenei, two sources involved in the discussions told me—whether in the event of the 86-year-old leader's death or of his being pushed aside. Constitutionally, the Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 clerics, would need to vote to dismiss Khamenei from his position, but organizing such a vote under current circumstances is unlikely. The leader could also be more informally sidelined, say, by insiders who pressure or persuade him to pass real power to a temporary replacement. The plotters have agreed that a leadership committee consisting of a few high-ranking officials would take over running the country and negotiate a deal with the United States to stop the Israeli attacks. The sources were fearful of being discovered but said that they were telling me of their conversations in the hope that the exposure could help them gauge regional and international response. Among the details they shared with me are that former president Hassan Rouhani, who is not involved in the discussions, is being considered for a key role on the leadership committee, and that some of the military officials involved have been in regular contact with their counterparts from a major Gulf country, seeking buy-in for changing Iran's trajectory and the composition of its leadership. 'Ours is just one idea,' one person involved in conversations told me. 'Tehran is now full of such plots. They are also talking to Europeans about the future of Iran. Everybody knows Khamenei's days are numbered. Even if he stays in office, he won't have actual power.' This was before the U.S. bombardment. I reached out to this person just after the explosions in Natanz, Fordo, and Isfahan, and he said, 'I think the chances of us succeeding to somehow sideline Khamenei have now increased. But we are all worried and not sure. It could also go exactly the opposite way.' The other person I spoke with who was involved in the conversations told me that he was less optimistic now about the group's plan securing peace with the U.S. and Israel. 'But even if Iran ends up choosing a belligerent position against the United States, Khamenei might have to be pushed aside,' he said. The extent of last night's damage is currently subject to a war of narratives between Washington and Tehran. The U.S. has averred that its bombing was a spectacular success—President Donald Trump claims to have 'obliterated' Iran's nuclear program— while Iran has sought to downplay the destruction, claiming that it had already moved its nuclear materiel and that the strikes had not penetrated fortified sites. Either way, the mood in Iranian circles close to the regime has bifurcated, I'm told. Some insiders, including the plotters I spoke with, want to sue for a deal with Trump, even if that means ditching Khamenei. Others believe that Iran must fight back, because otherwise it will invite further aggression. 'Iran will respond and the war will expand, even if only for the time being,' Mostafa Najafi, a Tehran-based expert close to the Iranian security establishment told me shortly after the attacks. I'd spoken to Najafi a day earlier. At that time, he told me that Iran had already readied itself for American intervention and several months of war. Despite a week of harsh Israeli assaults, Iran's missile and drone capacities were still considerable, he'd said, adding that Iran's long experience in asymmetric warfare left it well-situated for a prolonged battle with the United States and Israel. Iran had so far sought to avoid dragging America into the war with Israel, Najafi said—Tehran had not unleashed its regional militia allies on American interests in the region—but a U.S. direct hit could change that calculus. Iran's options would be limited in this regard, however. Lebanon's Hezbollah is a shadow of its former self and has shown little interest in joining Iran's fight with Israel and the United States. Iraq is in the midst of a national electoral campaign, making its pro-Tehran militias unlikely to want to be seen as dragging the country into a new conflict. Some in the Iranian ruling establishment have suggested that the country will now leave the Non-Proliferation Treaty and openly pursue nuclear weaponization. This fits the belligerent tone emanating even from some centrist elements. For example, before the U.S. attack, Ali Larijani, a former speaker of parliament, personally threatened Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, saying that Iran would 'come after' him after the war. But events may be moving too fast for Khamenei to carry out longterm plans. In the days ahead, Iran may well respond with a symbolic attack, likely on U.S. bases in Iraq, Mojtaba Dehghani, a Europe-based expert with intimate knowledge of Iran's leadership told me. But Dehghani speculated that such a move would probably expand the war and end in Khamenei's downfall, as a rival faction would then be motivated to seize the reins and seek peace with the United States. For years, Khamenei has led his country in chants of 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel' while avoiding fighting either on Iran's home turf. Now Iranian territory is under fire from both. The country faces a stark choice. Either it expands the war and risks additionally antagonizing the Gulf countries that host American bases, or it seeks a historic compromise with the U.S. that would mean giving up its decades-long hostility. Khamenei's stance is at once recalcitrant and cautious to the point of cowardice. Elites around him are wondering whether he will have to be tossed aside in pursuit of either course.


Middle East Eye
11 minutes ago
- Middle East Eye
US strikes Iran: Israelis hail attack and hope it will end the war
Israelis awoke on Sunday to the dramatic news that the United States had launched air strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, marking Washington's entry into the war Israel began against Iran just over a week ago. But celebrations were short-lived. By 7:30am, air raid sirens wailed across the country as Iran fired a wave of missiles. As Israelis waited in bomb shelters, the missiles struck Tel Aviv and Haifa, wounding several and causing significant damage. Despite the attacks, many Israelis expressed support for US President Donald Trump's decision to heed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's call to join the fight. "The US has bombs we don't have. That's what should have happened," said Stav, a Tel Aviv resident. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Another local, Tal, told Middle East Eye he hoped the strikes would "end the war more quickly and reduce the missile fire", adding he wished they would "eliminate Iran's nuclear programme and ballistic missiles". Many in the Israeli media were also satisfied by the attack. Senior journalist Ben Caspit, who is considered one of Netanyahu's harshest critics, wrote on X: "History. We waited for it for 15 years. We will wait for the damage assessment and the Iranian response. Thank you, President Trump." 'Iran can't escalate their response too much' - Tal, Tel Aviv resident Yaron Avraham, the political correspondent for Channel 12, Israel's leading news channel, did not wait for the attack's assessment to heap praise on Netanyahu. "A tremendous success for Netanyahu, who is currently writing a legacy in the field that he first warned about, even when everyone ridiculed him and few believed," he wrote on his X account. According to Avraham, Netanyahu's success was expressed in the initiative to attack Iran first and the recruitment of Trump to join the attack, which gave "a decisive blow to the three significant nuclear facilities, first and foremost, Fordow". Tal also praised the collaboration between Trump and Netanyahu. "They put on a good show. If it will destroy Iran's nuclear programme, then you can say that they did a good job," he told MEE. Stav said that Trump and Netanyahu "did a great job. Bibi [Netanyahu] restored Israel's honour with the war in Iran after what happened in Gaza". 'Iran can't escalate' Support for the US attack cut across political lines in Israel, with both right- and left-leaning figures praising the move. Tomer Persico, an academic who is considered in Israel to be a left-leaning Zionist, wrote this morning on his X account that "the subjugation of Iran is a significant basis for the establishment of a Middle East of regional alliances and not of terrorist proxies". "From here, we must move towards a regional agreement that includes normalisation with Saudi Arabia and a move towards the final condition for a new Middle East: the establishment of a Palestinian state," Persico added. Iranians say their hopes of peace have been buried by US bombs Read More » Despite public support, life in Israel remains far from normal. The Home Front Command has restricted activity across the country, allowing only essential workers to report to their jobs. In Tel Aviv, streets remain noticeably emptier than usual for a Sunday, as many residents stay near shelters for a second consecutive week. Stav, one of many Israelis unable to work due to the war, said this is "what we have to go through. There's no other choice". "I hope it will end as soon as possible, and we can live with Iran in peace," Stav said of the possibility that the war would escalate now. Tal is less worried about a potential escalation in the war. "Iran can't escalate their response too much," he told MEE. "Iran will want to make some kind of agreement. I don't know how long it will take, but it's worth it,."