Wild, wild West Asia
Is the region safer after the bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities? No. Because Palestine, Shia-Sunni tension on streets and distrust between Gulf Sheikhs & Ayatollahs won't go away anytime soon
In a matter of 12 days, several long-held red lines in West Asia were crossed – direct and intense military exchanges between Iran and Israel; the biggest US military assault on Iran since the foundation of the Islamic Republic; and massive strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
However, just as things were looking hairy, Trump announced a ceasefire.
But the big question is: Will the truce hold? Is West Asia any safer after the latest burst of conflict? Here's the breakdown of the current regional dynamics.
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Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Unacceptable': Japan condemns Trump's Hiroshima comparison to Iran strikes; demands retraction
Donald Trump (AP photo) Japan has strongly criticised US President Donald Trump for comparing the recent American military strikes on Iran to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that ended World War II. "That hit ended the war," Trump told reporters on Wednesday. "I don't want to use an example of Hiroshima, I don't want to use an example of Nagasaki, but that was essentially the same thing." The comparison has drawn backlash across Japan, which remains the only country to have suffered nuclear attacks. The bombings in August 1945 killed about 140,000 people, and survivors continue to live with long-term health issues and trauma. Nagasaki mayor Shiro Suzuki responded to Trump's comment, saying, "If Trump's comments justifies the dropping of the atomic bomb, it is extremely regrettable for us as a city that was bombed." Atomic bomb survivor and co-chair of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning advocacy group Nihon Hidankyo, Mimaki Toshiyuki, also criticised Trump, saying the remarks were "unacceptable", as quoted by BBC via Japanese public broadcaster NHK. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Livguard Lithium-X: The Future of Power Backup Livguard Learn More Undo "I'm really disappointed. All I have is anger," added Teruko Yokoyama, another member of Nihon Hidankyo, speaking to Kyodo News. In response, survivors and citizens in Hiroshima held a protest on Thursday demanding that Trump retract his statement. Hiroshima lawmakers also passed a resolution rejecting any statement that justifies the use of nuclear weapons and called for all armed conflicts to be resolved peacefully. When asked if Japan would formally lodge a complaint, chief cabinet secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa stated that "Japan has repeatedly expressed its position on atomic bombs to Washington." Trump's controversial remarks came as he pushed back against a leaked US intelligence assessment which suggested that recent strikes on Iranian nuclear sites only delayed their programme by a few months. Trump countered that the US attacks "obliterated" Iran's nuclear capabilities and set them back "decades" - a claim also supported by CIA Director John Ratcliffe. The legacy of Hiroshima remains central to Japan's anti-nuclear stance.
Indian Express
29 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Iran's uranium stockpile: What we know about its facilities after US strikes
After days of debate over whether Israeli and US strikes damaged Iran's three key nuclear facilities, the fate of the country's enriched uranium stockpile remains a mystery. While a CIA report confirmed 'significant damage' to nuclear facilities that has pushed the nuclear programme back by many years, there is still little to no information on the current status of Iran's enriched uranium stock. At a Pentagon press briefing on Thursday (June 26), US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said he was unaware of any intelligence suggesting Iran had moved any of its highly enriched uranium in advance of the US strikes. 'I'm not aware of any intelligence that I've reviewed that says things were not where they were supposed to be, moved or otherwise,' he said. US President Donald Trump, echoing the defence secretary's statements, said that nothing was taken out of the site prior to the attack. In a post on Truth Social, Trump, referring to the Fordow nuclear facility, said, 'Would take too long, too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move!' Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, also said that American intelligence agencies were watching the Iranian nuclear sites closely, 'and there was no indication to the United States that any of that enriched uranium was moved prior to the strike.' The clarification by top US officials comes after a US intelligence report prepared by the Pentagon assessed that the US strike on Iran's nuclear facilities on June 20 did not damage the core components of Tehran's nuclear programme, but has only set it back by several months. Trump refuted the claims, standing firm on his stance, that the US strikes 'completely obliterated' the nuclear facilities. He blamed his Democratic opponents, without any evidence, for leaking the intelligence report to US media. 'The Democrats are the ones who leaked the information on the PERFECT FLIGHT to the Nuclear Sites in Iran,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'They should be prosecuted!' He also slammed CNN for its report suggesting that the US strikes had failed to destroy Iran's nuclear sites. A CIA report, however, revealed with 'credible evidence' that Iran's Nuclear Program has been 'severely damaged' by recent strikes. While the facilities were targeted, there is a little doubt whether Iran's entire enriched uranium stockpile was completely destroyed, and the country would struggle to produce more quickly. Intelligence officials have assessed that Iran may have attempted to move its stockpile of enriched uranium out of Fordow in anticipation of an attack on its nuclear facilities. There is no clear confirmation regarding which facility stored most of Iran's enriched uranium. Trump has said it was at Fordow, the site he claims was severely destroyed. Others argue it was at Natanz, while the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said the majority of the stockpile was at Isfahan, where Iran maintains reactors and other facilities that utilise enriched uranium. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said that Iranian officials had told his officials they planned to move the material if they believed it was under threat. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had also sent a letter to the IAEA Director General on 13 June, warning that Iran would 'adopt special measures to protect our nuclear equipment and materials'. In the days leading up to the US strikes, there was evidence of vehicles transporting materials in or out of the Isfahan nuclear site. Satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies showed 'unusual activity' at Fordow, with a long line of vehicles queued outside the facility, according to Reuters. A senior Iranian source also told Reuters that most of the 60% highly enriched uranium had been moved to an undisclosed location before the attack. The IAEA Director General later said that a significant amount of the near-bomb-grade fuel appeared to remain under Iranian control. 'I don't know if they moved all of it,' he told the Financial Times, 'but the evidence points to their moving out a lot of it.' The Financial Times, citing European intelligence assessments, also reported that Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile remains largely intact, as it was not concentrated at Fordow. Iranian officials have suggested that the enriched uranium was indeed moved from Fordow prior to the US bombing of the plant and could now be hidden in unknown locations. The newspaper, citing two people briefed on preliminary intelligence assessments, said European capitals believe Iran's stockpile of 408 kilogram of enriched uranium close to weapons-grade levels was not concentrated in Fordow at the time of last weekend's attack. Over the years, Iran has stockpiled more than 8,400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 per cent, which is considered near bomb-grade. However, Tehran continues to insist its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes. (With inputs from The New York Times, Financial Times, and Reuters)
Indian Express
44 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Nuclear watchdog chief: Iran's atomic sites suffered ‘enormous damage', Fordow ‘no longer operational'
Rafael Mariano Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), confirmed that Israeli strikes earlier this month caused 'very significant physical damage' to Iran's nuclear infrastructure. In an interview with RFI's Le Grand Invité International on June 26, Grossi said the facilities at Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow — central to Iran's uranium enrichment operations — had been hit hard. 'I think 'annihilated' is too much. But it suffered enormous damage,' Grossi said, emphasising that while some sites remained intact, the affected facilities were among the most critical to Iran's nuclear program. Responding to US President Donald Trump's claim that the strikes had delayed Iran's nuclear capabilities by 'several decades,' Grossi referenced past intelligence misjudgments. He said such timelines are highly subjective. 'This chronological approach… has a not-so-happy tradition… It depends on the parameters you want to apply.' Using satellite imagery and institutional knowledge of Iran's nuclear infrastructure, the IAEA has made preliminary assessments of the damage. At Fordow, a major underground enrichment facility, Grossi said images showed evidence of high-penetration bomb strikes, likely destroying key equipment. Describing the enrichment hall as 'no longer an operational facility,' he said: 'These centrifuges are fairly precise machines… the vibrations have completely destroyed them.' Grossi also addressed concerns over Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium, which was measured at over 400 kilograms just before the conflict. He confirmed IAEA inspectors were present until June 12—one day before the strikes—and had conducted daily inventories. Iran had signalled it would take protective measures, he said, likely indicating it moved the uranium to secure locations. Following the ceasefire, Grossi sent a diplomatic request to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to begin coordinating the inspectors' return. However, he said, no response has been received so far. The situation became more precarious after Iranian lawmakers voted to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, accusing the agency of bias for not condemning the Israeli strikes. Grossi warned that such a move would constitute a breach of international obligations. Noting that unilateral suspension would place Iran outside the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), he said: 'The agency's presence in Iran is not some kind of generous gesture… It is a legal obligation.' If inspections continue to be blocked, Grossi said he may be forced to convene the IAEA Board of Governors. Meanwhile, Trump accused Democrats of leaking classified details about the US strikes on Iran. In a Truth Social post, he said 'They should be prosecuted.' Separately, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has staunchly defended the strikes, claiming they 'decimated… obliterated' the country's nuclear program — despite early intelligence reports suggesting otherwise. (Source: RFI – Le Grand Invité International)
