Airstrikes against Iran: Israeli Offensive Deepens Crisis in The Middle East
The Middle East is facing a critical situation that could plunge the entire region into the maelstrom of war. A full-scale war between military powers in the region must be avoided at all costs.
The Israeli military used fighter jets to launch airstrikes against Iranian nuclear-related, military and other facilities.
In addition to the capital Tehran, the targets included Natanz in central Iran, where a uranium enrichment facility is located, and Khondab in western Iran, where a heavy water reactor is located. The commander of the elite Revolutionary Guard military organization was also killed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that the operation will continue for the time being.
This is the third time Israel has attacked Iran since April last year, but the latest attacks are the first to target Iran's nuclear facilities. The obvious aim is to deal a blow to Iran's nuclear development program.
Iran is accelerating its program to enrich uranium, which can be used to make nuclear weapons. It is believed that Iran already possesses enough uranium for nine nuclear bombs. The United States, which aims to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, has been engaged in negotiations with Iran since this spring.
Amid this situation, Israel went ahead and resorted to military force. It appears that Israel did so to prevent negotiations from progressing in a way that is favorable to Iran.
Israel has been carrying out indiscriminate attacks in the Palestinian territory of Gaza, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and isolating itself from the international community. With the latest attacks, it is inevitable that Israel will face criticism for expanding the conflict and further destabilizing the region.
In a statement, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared large-scale retaliation. Israel announced it had intercepted over 100 drones launched from Iran. If the exchange of attacks continues, the situation could spiral out of control. Both countries are urged to exercise maximum restraint.
Prior to Israel's attacks, U.S. President Donald Trump warned that 'there's a chance of massive conflict.' It is difficult to understand why the United States, informed in advance by Israel, accepted the attacks. This can be described as a situation that exposes the decline of U.S. influence.
After Israel's attacks, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Iran not to target U.S. interests such as military forces deployed in the Middle East. However, if Iran retaliates, the U.S. military will have no choice but to move to support Israel, potentially getting drawn into the fighting.
Immediately after the attacks, oil prices surged. The Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Iran is a major artery for oil transportation. Japan, in particular, relies on the Middle East for 90% of its oil imports, and the impact from the latest development is cause for concern.
To prevent the situation from worsening, the United States and other members of the international community must unite and strengthen their efforts to approach both Israel and Iran.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 14, 2025)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NHK
6 hours ago
- NHK
Iran and Israel exchange deadly military strikes
Iranian forces have attacked Israel with ballistic missiles in retaliation for Friday's airstrikes on its nuclear facilities and other targets. Israel has also continued to attack Iran. Casualties have been reported in both countries. Iran's state-run TV quoted a senior revolutionary guard corps official as saying at least 150 Israeli targets were struck. He reportedly said the attacks will continue as long as necessary. Israeli media say three people have been killed and more than 70 others injured in and around Tel Aviv. Israeli forces attacked more than 100 targets on Friday. Nearly 80 people were killed, including top Iranian military commanders. On Saturday, the Israeli military said it also killed nine scientists and experts involved in Iran's nuclear program. It said their deaths constitute a significant blow to Tehran's ability to develop weapons of mass destruction. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, "They triggered a war. We will not allow them to walk away unscathed from the great crime they have committed." Iran's state-run TV said there could be chemical or radioactive contamination inside the facility. But officials at the International Atomic Energy Agency say radiation levels outside the complex have not risen. They say they will continue to monitor the situation. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said, "I have repeatedly stated that nuclear facilities must never be attacked, regardless of the context or circumstances, as it could harm both people and the environment." US news site Axios quoted President Donald Trump as saying Israel used what he called "great American equipment" and that Iran now has a stronger incentive to reach a nuclear deal. Trump used a social media post to urge leaders in Tehran to come to an agreement before they have "nothing left."
The Mainichi
10 hours ago
- The Mainichi
How serious is Israel's attack for Iran's nuclear program?
(AP) -- Israel's sweeping attack across Iran struck at the heart of Tehran's nuclear program, delivering a blow to the country's ability to enrich uranium and potentially setting its nuclear ambitions back by months or years. As well as killing key military figures and nuclear scientists, the Israeli strikes destroyed part of a plant that was enriching uranium to levels far beyond the requirements for nuclear-fueled power stations. The attacks also destroyed backup power for the underground section of the plant, potentially damaging more sensitive equipment. Iran's nuclear program has progressed rapidly since 2018, when the U.S. withdrew from a deal to limit Tehran's capacity to enrich uranium, which is necessary to build a nuclear weapon. Iran maintains that its program is peaceful, but the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly warned that the country has enough enriched uranium to make several nuclear bombs if it chose to do so. Nuclear regulators said the assault was unlikely to lead to increased levels of radiation, even at the site where part of the fuel-enrichment plant was destroyed. Here's a closer look at the attack and its likely effects on Iran's nuclear efforts. What impact will the attacks have on Iran's nuclear program? There is "no question" Israel's attacks did substantial damage, said Fabian Hinz, an expert on Iran's nuclear program at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London. David Albright, a nuclear weapons expert, speculated that the initial wave of attacks could set back any Iranian attempt to develop a nuclear weapon by about a year. A key question, Hinz said, is whether Israel also targeted suppliers of specialist components such as centrifuges and subcontractors. Israel's strategy appears to be to "destroy the brains" behind the program and "as much equipment as possible," said Albright, who agreed that Israel has potentially done a "tremendous amount of damage" to the program. Israel is widely believed to be behind a series of attacks in recent years that targeted Iranian nuclear scientists and sabotaged nuclear facilities. What damage was done to Iran's nuclear facilities? Hinz suggested a key Israeli goal was to undermine Iran's ability to make centrifuges, which are critical for enriching uranium. Uranium enrichment is a key component of building a nuclear weapon, but Iran would still need to develop a detonator. Delivering it using a missile would require solving further technical challenges. Iran has two uranium-enrichment sites, and the country said Wednesday that it has built and will activate a third enrichment facility. On Thursday, Israel struck Iran's main and oldest facility in Natanz, 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran, which was protected by anti-aircraft batteries, fencing and Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. The IAEA's chief, Rafael Grossi, told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday that the above-ground part of the plant where uranium was enriched up to 60% was destroyed, along with electrical infrastructure, including a substation, the main electric power supply building, the emergency power supply and backup generators. Grossi said there were no changes to radiation levels following the attack or any indication of damage to the underground section of the plant. That part of the facility is buried to protect it from airstrikes and contains the bulk of Natanz's enrichment facilities, with 10,000 centrifuges that enrich uranium up to 5%, Albright said. However, Grossi said, the loss of power may have damaged centrifuges. There is a good chance the strikes still caused "massive damage," Hinz said because many of the centrifuges were probably operating at the time of the strike. Centrifuges, Albright said, "don't like vibration," and the shock waves or loss of power could break delicate parts when they are rotating at high speed. What about the Fordo nuclear site? Most of Iran's centrifuges are in Natanz, the experts said, because a lot of them are required to enrich uranium to 5% -- which is the maximum level normally used for nuclear-fueled power stations. But, buried under a huge mountain at Fordo, around 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Tehran, is another nuclear facility where Iran is also enriching uranium to 60%, which is only a short step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. According to the IAEA, Tehran has the largest number of its most powerful centrifuges at Fordo. An Iranian news outlet close to the government reported Friday that two explosions were heard near the Fordo site. But, while Israel could potentially hit the entrance to Fordo and temporarily block access, it is not believed to have the type of earth-penetrating bombs required to blow up the mountain and crack open the nuclear facility inside, Hinz said. That capacity lies with the U.S., which has developed a massive bomb that can be dropped only from large aircraft that Israel does not have in service, he said. The potential for more strikes loomed large. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the attacks will continue "for as many days at it takes to remove this threat." Hinz said the attacks showed Israeli intelligence had "absolutely exceptional" knowledge of Iran's nuclear program and the ability to strike at key targets "with precision." That could mean Israel could sabotage the plant, rather than trying to blast the mountain open. Albright suggested Israel could try to cut off electricity to Fordo, which could lead to centrifuges breaking. Is there risk from radiation? Although Grossi said part of the enrichment facility at Natanz was destroyed, he noted that radiation levels had not spiked. Even if radiation did leak, experts said, the amount would be unlikely to pose a risk to people in the region or even those near the facilities that got hit. "Very little uranium will be released in these kind of attacks," Albright said. Uranium itself is not especially toxic, he said, and is common in parts of the environment. A person standing near an enrichment facility with a leak would probably be exposed to no more radiation than someone who took several transatlantic flights, which receive slightly higher radiation because radiation doses are larger at high altitudes, he said. In order to become sick, someone would have to ingest large quantities of uranium, Albright said, pointing out that the element can be found naturally in seawater and the earth's crust. Rather than radiation, the greater risk might be from fluorine, which is used to enrich uranium and could have been deadly to those nearby if released during an attack. Fluorine is mixed with the uranium during enrichment to turn it into a gas called uranium hexafluoride. It is extremely volatile, will quickly corrode and can burn the skin. It is especially deadly if inhaled.
Yomiuri Shimbun
11 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Iran Says Talks with US ‘Meaningless' after Israel Attack, But Yet to Decide on Attending
Reuters People look at damaged buildings at an impact site following missile attack from Iran on Israel, in Ramat Gan, Israel, June 14, 2025. CAIRO, June 14 (Reuters) – Iran said the dialog with the U.S. over Tehran's nuclear program is 'meaningless' after Israel's biggest-ever military strikeagainst its longstanding enemy, but said it is yet to decide on whether to attend planned talks on Sunday. 'The other side (the U.S.) acted in a way that makes dialog meaningless. You cannot claim to negotiate and at the same time divide work by allowing the Zionist regime (Israel) to target Iran's territory,' state media on Saturday quoted foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying. 'It is still unclear what decision we will make on Sunday in this regard,' Baghaei was quoted as saying. He said Israel 'succeeded in influencing' the diplomatic process and the Israeli attack would not have happened without Washington's permission, accusing Washington of supporting the attack. Iran earlier accused the U.S. of being complicit in Israel's attacks, but Washington denied the allegation and told Tehran at the United Nations Security Council that it would be 'wise' to negotiate over its nuclear program. The sixth round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks was set to be held on Sunday in Muscat, but it was unclear whether it would go ahead after the Israeli strikes. Iran denies that its uranium enrichment program is for anything other than civilian purposes, rejecting Israeli allegations that it is secretly developing nuclear weapons. U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters that he and his team had known the Israeli attacks were coming but they still saw room for an accord.
