Security fears throughout Middle East after US strikes
The US strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran, in alignment with Israel's mission to destroy the nuclear capabilities of its long-time foe, have outraged the Islamic republic's allies and raised fears throughout the region.
Iraq on Sunday strongly condemned the US strikes in neighbouring Iran and warned of the fallout on security in the Middle East.
"This military escalation constitutes a grave threat to peace and security in the Middle East and poses serious risks to regional stability," the Iraqi government said.
Baghdad, which maintains good ties with both Washington and Tehran, has called for immediate de-escalation and the use of diplomacy to defuse the crisis.
"This must be done in a manner that safeguards collective security and upholds the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations," a spokesman for the Iraqi government added in an online statement.
An umbrella grouping of pro-Iranian militias, known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, has repeatedly claimed strikes on US bases inside Iraq and neighbouring Syria with drones and missiles since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023.
The Iraqi militias include Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and the militant Palestinian group Hamas.
The Houthis are vowing to support Iran in its fight against "the Zionist and American aggression."
Their statement called for the Muslim nations to join the holy war and act as "one front against the Zionist-American arrogance."
Hamas said the US strikes on Iran were a "direct threat to international peace and security" and "a blind pursuit of the rogue Zionist occupation's agenda."
Oman, which served as mediator in the nuclear talks between Iran and the US, condemned the airstrikes, saying they escalated tensions in the region.
The strikes threaten "to expand the scope of the conflict and constitute a serious violation of international law," a spokesperson for Oman's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates all urged a halt to the escalation in hostilities to avoid wider repercussions.
Iran itself has declared that diplomacy is no longer an option after the US strikes.
"The warmongering, lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far reaching implications of its act of aggression," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a news briefing at a conference in Turkey.
Bahrain and Kuwait, home to US bases, made preparations for the possibility the Iran conflict might spread to their territory, with Bahrain urging drivers to avoid main roads and Kuwait establishing shelters in a ministries complex.
Tehran had previously warned if it was attacked by the United States, it could target American assets in the region, including US military bases.
Bahrain is home to the headquarters of the US Navy's 5th Fleet and there are several US bases in Kuwait.
"In light of recent developments in the regional security situation, we urge citizens and residents to use main roads only when necessary, to maintain public safety and to allow the relevant authorities to use the roads efficiently," Bahrain's interior ministry said in a post on X.
Bahrain also told 70 per cent of government employees to work from home until further notice.
The US strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran, in alignment with Israel's mission to destroy the nuclear capabilities of its long-time foe, have outraged the Islamic republic's allies and raised fears throughout the region.
Iraq on Sunday strongly condemned the US strikes in neighbouring Iran and warned of the fallout on security in the Middle East.
"This military escalation constitutes a grave threat to peace and security in the Middle East and poses serious risks to regional stability," the Iraqi government said.
Baghdad, which maintains good ties with both Washington and Tehran, has called for immediate de-escalation and the use of diplomacy to defuse the crisis.
"This must be done in a manner that safeguards collective security and upholds the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations," a spokesman for the Iraqi government added in an online statement.
An umbrella grouping of pro-Iranian militias, known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, has repeatedly claimed strikes on US bases inside Iraq and neighbouring Syria with drones and missiles since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023.
The Iraqi militias include Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and the militant Palestinian group Hamas.
The Houthis are vowing to support Iran in its fight against "the Zionist and American aggression."
Their statement called for the Muslim nations to join the holy war and act as "one front against the Zionist-American arrogance."
Hamas said the US strikes on Iran were a "direct threat to international peace and security" and "a blind pursuit of the rogue Zionist occupation's agenda."
Oman, which served as mediator in the nuclear talks between Iran and the US, condemned the airstrikes, saying they escalated tensions in the region.
The strikes threaten "to expand the scope of the conflict and constitute a serious violation of international law," a spokesperson for Oman's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates all urged a halt to the escalation in hostilities to avoid wider repercussions.
Iran itself has declared that diplomacy is no longer an option after the US strikes.
"The warmongering, lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far reaching implications of its act of aggression," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a news briefing at a conference in Turkey.
Bahrain and Kuwait, home to US bases, made preparations for the possibility the Iran conflict might spread to their territory, with Bahrain urging drivers to avoid main roads and Kuwait establishing shelters in a ministries complex.
Tehran had previously warned if it was attacked by the United States, it could target American assets in the region, including US military bases.
Bahrain is home to the headquarters of the US Navy's 5th Fleet and there are several US bases in Kuwait.
"In light of recent developments in the regional security situation, we urge citizens and residents to use main roads only when necessary, to maintain public safety and to allow the relevant authorities to use the roads efficiently," Bahrain's interior ministry said in a post on X.
Bahrain also told 70 per cent of government employees to work from home until further notice.
The US strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran, in alignment with Israel's mission to destroy the nuclear capabilities of its long-time foe, have outraged the Islamic republic's allies and raised fears throughout the region.
Iraq on Sunday strongly condemned the US strikes in neighbouring Iran and warned of the fallout on security in the Middle East.
"This military escalation constitutes a grave threat to peace and security in the Middle East and poses serious risks to regional stability," the Iraqi government said.
Baghdad, which maintains good ties with both Washington and Tehran, has called for immediate de-escalation and the use of diplomacy to defuse the crisis.
"This must be done in a manner that safeguards collective security and upholds the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations," a spokesman for the Iraqi government added in an online statement.
An umbrella grouping of pro-Iranian militias, known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, has repeatedly claimed strikes on US bases inside Iraq and neighbouring Syria with drones and missiles since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023.
The Iraqi militias include Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and the militant Palestinian group Hamas.
The Houthis are vowing to support Iran in its fight against "the Zionist and American aggression."
Their statement called for the Muslim nations to join the holy war and act as "one front against the Zionist-American arrogance."
Hamas said the US strikes on Iran were a "direct threat to international peace and security" and "a blind pursuit of the rogue Zionist occupation's agenda."
Oman, which served as mediator in the nuclear talks between Iran and the US, condemned the airstrikes, saying they escalated tensions in the region.
The strikes threaten "to expand the scope of the conflict and constitute a serious violation of international law," a spokesperson for Oman's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates all urged a halt to the escalation in hostilities to avoid wider repercussions.
Iran itself has declared that diplomacy is no longer an option after the US strikes.
"The warmongering, lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far reaching implications of its act of aggression," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a news briefing at a conference in Turkey.
Bahrain and Kuwait, home to US bases, made preparations for the possibility the Iran conflict might spread to their territory, with Bahrain urging drivers to avoid main roads and Kuwait establishing shelters in a ministries complex.
Tehran had previously warned if it was attacked by the United States, it could target American assets in the region, including US military bases.
Bahrain is home to the headquarters of the US Navy's 5th Fleet and there are several US bases in Kuwait.
"In light of recent developments in the regional security situation, we urge citizens and residents to use main roads only when necessary, to maintain public safety and to allow the relevant authorities to use the roads efficiently," Bahrain's interior ministry said in a post on X.
Bahrain also told 70 per cent of government employees to work from home until further notice.
The US strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran, in alignment with Israel's mission to destroy the nuclear capabilities of its long-time foe, have outraged the Islamic republic's allies and raised fears throughout the region.
Iraq on Sunday strongly condemned the US strikes in neighbouring Iran and warned of the fallout on security in the Middle East.
"This military escalation constitutes a grave threat to peace and security in the Middle East and poses serious risks to regional stability," the Iraqi government said.
Baghdad, which maintains good ties with both Washington and Tehran, has called for immediate de-escalation and the use of diplomacy to defuse the crisis.
"This must be done in a manner that safeguards collective security and upholds the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations," a spokesman for the Iraqi government added in an online statement.
An umbrella grouping of pro-Iranian militias, known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, has repeatedly claimed strikes on US bases inside Iraq and neighbouring Syria with drones and missiles since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023.
The Iraqi militias include Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and the militant Palestinian group Hamas.
The Houthis are vowing to support Iran in its fight against "the Zionist and American aggression."
Their statement called for the Muslim nations to join the holy war and act as "one front against the Zionist-American arrogance."
Hamas said the US strikes on Iran were a "direct threat to international peace and security" and "a blind pursuit of the rogue Zionist occupation's agenda."
Oman, which served as mediator in the nuclear talks between Iran and the US, condemned the airstrikes, saying they escalated tensions in the region.
The strikes threaten "to expand the scope of the conflict and constitute a serious violation of international law," a spokesperson for Oman's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates all urged a halt to the escalation in hostilities to avoid wider repercussions.
Iran itself has declared that diplomacy is no longer an option after the US strikes.
"The warmongering, lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far reaching implications of its act of aggression," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a news briefing at a conference in Turkey.
Bahrain and Kuwait, home to US bases, made preparations for the possibility the Iran conflict might spread to their territory, with Bahrain urging drivers to avoid main roads and Kuwait establishing shelters in a ministries complex.
Tehran had previously warned if it was attacked by the United States, it could target American assets in the region, including US military bases.
Bahrain is home to the headquarters of the US Navy's 5th Fleet and there are several US bases in Kuwait.
"In light of recent developments in the regional security situation, we urge citizens and residents to use main roads only when necessary, to maintain public safety and to allow the relevant authorities to use the roads efficiently," Bahrain's interior ministry said in a post on X.
Bahrain also told 70 per cent of government employees to work from home until further notice.
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Iran cannot return to diplomacy while under attack by Israel and the United States, its top diplomat says, and will consult with Russia. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he will fly to Russia, with whom Iran has a strategic partnership, for talks with President Vladimir Putin on Monday. The United States intervened in the war against Iran alongside Israel during the night, attacking nuclear facilities including the well-fortified underground uranium enrichment facility Fordo. "The US showed they have no respect for international law. They only understand the language of threat and force," Araghchi said in Istanbul, adding that Tehran has to respond based on its rights before diplomacy can be reconsidered. Russia has "strongly condemned" the US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. The "irresponsible decision" by the United States to bomb Iran violates international law and the United Nations Charter, the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow stated on Sunday. The UN Security Council must respond to this, it said, adding that the attack has also harmed nuclear non-proliferation. Moscow said it therefore expects a clear response from the International Atomic Energy Agency. Dmitry Medvedev, who serves as deputy head of President Vladimir Putin's Security Council, said several countries were prepared to supply Tehran with nuclear weapons. He didn't specify which countries, but said the US attack caused minimal damage and would not stop Tehran from pursuing nuclear weapons.
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In inserting itself into Israel's war against Iran, Washington unleashed its massive "bunker-buster" bombs on Iran's Fordo fuel enrichment plant. Those bombs were widely seen as the best chance of damaging or destroying Fordo, built deep into a mountain and untouched during Israel's week-long offensive. Air Force General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said 14 of the bombs were used in Sunday's attack on Fordo and a second target. The US is the only military capable of dropping the weapons, and the movement of B-2 stealth bombers toward Asia on Saturday had signaled possible activity by the US. Israeli leaders had made no secret of their hopes that President Donald Trump would join their week-old war against Iran, though they had also suggested they had backup plans for destroying the site. In all, the US hit three nuclear sites and Caine told reporters Sunday that "initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage." The mission could have wide-ranging ramifications, including jeopardising any chance of Iran engaging in Trump's desired talks on its nuclear program and dragging the US into another Mideast war. "Bunker buster" is a broad term used to describe bombs that are designed to penetrate deep below the surface before exploding. In this case, it refers to the latest GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb in the American arsenal. The roughly 13,600 kilogram precision-guided bomb is designed to attack deeply buried and hardened bunkers and tunnels, according to the US Air Force. It's believed to be able to penetrate about 60 metres below the surface before exploding, and the bombs can be dropped one after another, effectively drilling deeper and deeper with each successive blast. It was not immediately known how many were used in the Sunday morning strike. The bomb carries a conventional warhead, but the International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Iran is producing highly enriched uranium at Fordo, which had raised the possibility that nuclear material could be released into the area if the GBU-57 A/B were used to hit the facility. Initial assessments by the IAEA, however, were that this had not happened. Fordo is Iran's second nuclear enrichment facility after Natanz, its main facility, which already has been targeted by Israeli airstrikes and was also hit by the US on Sunday, along with Isfahan. The IAEA says it believes those earlier strikes have had "direct impacts" on the facility's underground centrifuge halls. In theory, the GBU-57 A/B could be dropped by any bomber capable of carrying the weight, but at the moment the US has only configured and programed its B-2 Spirit stealth bomber to deliver the bomb, according to the Air Force. In inserting itself into Israel's war against Iran, Washington unleashed its massive "bunker-buster" bombs on Iran's Fordo fuel enrichment plant. Those bombs were widely seen as the best chance of damaging or destroying Fordo, built deep into a mountain and untouched during Israel's week-long offensive. Air Force General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said 14 of the bombs were used in Sunday's attack on Fordo and a second target. The US is the only military capable of dropping the weapons, and the movement of B-2 stealth bombers toward Asia on Saturday had signaled possible activity by the US. Israeli leaders had made no secret of their hopes that President Donald Trump would join their week-old war against Iran, though they had also suggested they had backup plans for destroying the site. In all, the US hit three nuclear sites and Caine told reporters Sunday that "initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage." The mission could have wide-ranging ramifications, including jeopardising any chance of Iran engaging in Trump's desired talks on its nuclear program and dragging the US into another Mideast war. "Bunker buster" is a broad term used to describe bombs that are designed to penetrate deep below the surface before exploding. In this case, it refers to the latest GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb in the American arsenal. The roughly 13,600 kilogram precision-guided bomb is designed to attack deeply buried and hardened bunkers and tunnels, according to the US Air Force. It's believed to be able to penetrate about 60 metres below the surface before exploding, and the bombs can be dropped one after another, effectively drilling deeper and deeper with each successive blast. It was not immediately known how many were used in the Sunday morning strike. The bomb carries a conventional warhead, but the International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Iran is producing highly enriched uranium at Fordo, which had raised the possibility that nuclear material could be released into the area if the GBU-57 A/B were used to hit the facility. Initial assessments by the IAEA, however, were that this had not happened. Fordo is Iran's second nuclear enrichment facility after Natanz, its main facility, which already has been targeted by Israeli airstrikes and was also hit by the US on Sunday, along with Isfahan. The IAEA says it believes those earlier strikes have had "direct impacts" on the facility's underground centrifuge halls. In theory, the GBU-57 A/B could be dropped by any bomber capable of carrying the weight, but at the moment the US has only configured and programed its B-2 Spirit stealth bomber to deliver the bomb, according to the Air Force. In inserting itself into Israel's war against Iran, Washington unleashed its massive "bunker-buster" bombs on Iran's Fordo fuel enrichment plant. Those bombs were widely seen as the best chance of damaging or destroying Fordo, built deep into a mountain and untouched during Israel's week-long offensive. Air Force General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said 14 of the bombs were used in Sunday's attack on Fordo and a second target. The US is the only military capable of dropping the weapons, and the movement of B-2 stealth bombers toward Asia on Saturday had signaled possible activity by the US. Israeli leaders had made no secret of their hopes that President Donald Trump would join their week-old war against Iran, though they had also suggested they had backup plans for destroying the site. In all, the US hit three nuclear sites and Caine told reporters Sunday that "initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage." The mission could have wide-ranging ramifications, including jeopardising any chance of Iran engaging in Trump's desired talks on its nuclear program and dragging the US into another Mideast war. "Bunker buster" is a broad term used to describe bombs that are designed to penetrate deep below the surface before exploding. In this case, it refers to the latest GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb in the American arsenal. The roughly 13,600 kilogram precision-guided bomb is designed to attack deeply buried and hardened bunkers and tunnels, according to the US Air Force. It's believed to be able to penetrate about 60 metres below the surface before exploding, and the bombs can be dropped one after another, effectively drilling deeper and deeper with each successive blast. It was not immediately known how many were used in the Sunday morning strike. The bomb carries a conventional warhead, but the International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Iran is producing highly enriched uranium at Fordo, which had raised the possibility that nuclear material could be released into the area if the GBU-57 A/B were used to hit the facility. Initial assessments by the IAEA, however, were that this had not happened. Fordo is Iran's second nuclear enrichment facility after Natanz, its main facility, which already has been targeted by Israeli airstrikes and was also hit by the US on Sunday, along with Isfahan. The IAEA says it believes those earlier strikes have had "direct impacts" on the facility's underground centrifuge halls. In theory, the GBU-57 A/B could be dropped by any bomber capable of carrying the weight, but at the moment the US has only configured and programed its B-2 Spirit stealth bomber to deliver the bomb, according to the Air Force.
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In inserting itself into Israel's war against Iran, Washington unleashed its massive "bunker-buster" bombs on Iran's Fordo fuel enrichment plant. Those bombs were widely seen as the best chance of damaging or destroying Fordo, built deep into a mountain and untouched during Israel's week-long offensive. Air Force General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said 14 of the bombs were used in Sunday's attack on Fordo and a second target. The US is the only military capable of dropping the weapons, and the movement of B-2 stealth bombers toward Asia on Saturday had signaled possible activity by the US. Israeli leaders had made no secret of their hopes that President Donald Trump would join their week-old war against Iran, though they had also suggested they had backup plans for destroying the site. In all, the US hit three nuclear sites and Caine told reporters Sunday that "initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage." The mission could have wide-ranging ramifications, including jeopardising any chance of Iran engaging in Trump's desired talks on its nuclear program and dragging the US into another Mideast war. "Bunker buster" is a broad term used to describe bombs that are designed to penetrate deep below the surface before exploding. In this case, it refers to the latest GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb in the American arsenal. The roughly 13,600 kilogram precision-guided bomb is designed to attack deeply buried and hardened bunkers and tunnels, according to the US Air Force. It's believed to be able to penetrate about 60 metres below the surface before exploding, and the bombs can be dropped one after another, effectively drilling deeper and deeper with each successive blast. It was not immediately known how many were used in the Sunday morning strike. The bomb carries a conventional warhead, but the International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Iran is producing highly enriched uranium at Fordo, which had raised the possibility that nuclear material could be released into the area if the GBU-57 A/B were used to hit the facility. Initial assessments by the IAEA, however, were that this had not happened. Fordo is Iran's second nuclear enrichment facility after Natanz, its main facility, which already has been targeted by Israeli airstrikes and was also hit by the US on Sunday, along with Isfahan. The IAEA says it believes those earlier strikes have had "direct impacts" on the facility's underground centrifuge halls. In theory, the GBU-57 A/B could be dropped by any bomber capable of carrying the weight, but at the moment the US has only configured and programed its B-2 Spirit stealth bomber to deliver the bomb, according to the Air Force.
