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Asharq Al-Awsat
a day ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Israel Strikes Iran for Second Night, Trump Says It's Not Too Late for Deal
Israel launched renewed attacks on Iran as evening fell on Friday, after its biggest ever attack against its longstanding foe blasted Iran's huge underground nuclear site at Natanz and wiped out its entire top echelon of military commanders. Iran said that in retaliation "the gates of hell will open", while Israel said the strikes were only the start of "Operation Rising Lion". US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear program. As evening fell on Friday, Iranian media reported explosions on the northern and southern outskirts of Tehran and at Fordow, near the city of Qom, a second nuclear site which had been spared in the first wave of attacks. Air defenses were activated across Tehran and explosions could be heard in Isfahan. Israel's military said it was striking Iranian missile and drone launching sites, and had struck another nuclear site in Isfahan. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli campaign was aimed at defeating an existential threat from Iran, invoking the failure to halt the Holocaust in World War Two. Israel's operation "will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat," he said in a TV address. "Generations from now, history will record our generation stood its ground, acted in time and secured our common future." Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Israel had "unleashed its wicked and bloody" hand and would suffer "a bitter fate". In a phone interview with Reuters, Trump said it was not clear if Iran's nuclear program had survived. He said nuclear talks between Tehran and the United States, scheduled for Sunday, were still on the agenda though he was not sure if they would take place. "We knew everything," Trump said of the Israeli attack plans. "I tried to save Iran humiliation and death. I tried to save them very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out," Trump said. "They can still work out a deal, however, it's not too late." Earlier, Trump posted on Truth Social: "Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left." Israel's National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said military action by itself would not destroy Iran's nuclear program, but could "create the conditions for a long-term deal, led by the United States" to get rid of it. DECAPITATION Two regional sources said at least 20 Iranian military commanders were killed, a stunning decapitation reminiscent of Israeli attacks that swiftly wiped out the leadership of Lebanon's once-feared Hezbollah group last year. Iran also said six of its top nuclear scientists had been killed. Among the generals killed on Friday were the armed forces chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, and the Revolutionary Guards chief, Hossein Salami. Major General Mohammad Pakpour, swiftly promoted to replace Salami as Guards commander, vowed retaliation in a letter to the Supreme Leader read out on state television: "The gates of hell will open to the child-killing regime." Iranians described an atmosphere of fear and anger, with some people rushing to change money and others seeking a way out of the country to safety. "People on my street rushed out of their homes in panic, we were all terrified," said Marziyeh, 39, who was awakened by a blast in Natanz. While some Iranians quietly hoped the attack would lead to changes in Iran's hardline clerical leadership, others vowed to rally behind the authorities. "I will fight and die for our right to a nuclear program. Israel and its ally America cannot take it away from us with these attacks," said Ali, a member of the pro-government Basij militia in Qom. Iranian media showed images of destroyed apartment blocks, and said nearly 80 civilians were killed in attacks that targeted nuclear scientists in their beds and wounded more than 300 people. Iran's ability to retaliate with weapons fired by its regional proxies has been sharply degraded over the past year, with the downfall of its ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria and the decimation of Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Israel said a missile fired from Yemen - whose Houthi militia are one of the last remaining Iranian-aligned groups still able to fire at Israel - had landed in Hebron in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Red Crescent said three Palestinian children were wounded by shrapnel there. 'COWARDLY' Israel said that Iran had launched around 100 drones towards Israeli territory on Friday, but Iran denied this and there were no reports of drones reaching Israeli targets. The United Nations Security Council was due to meet on Friday at Tehran's request. Iran said in a letter to the Council that it would respond decisively and proportionally to Israel's "unlawful" and "cowardly" acts. The price of crude leapt on fears of wider retaliatory attacks across a major oil-producing region, although there were no reports that oil production or storage was damaged. OPEC said the escalation did not justify any immediate changes to oil supply. An Israeli security source said Mossad commandos had been operating deep inside the country before the attack, and the Israeli spy agency and military had mounted a series of covert operations against Iran's strategic missile array. Israel also established an attack-drone base near Tehran, the source added. The military said it had bombarded Iran's air defenses, destroying "dozens of radars and surface-to-air missile launchers". Israeli officials said it may be some time before the extent of damage to the underground nuclear site at Natanz is clear, where Iran has refined uranium to levels Western countries have long said are suitable for a bomb rather than civilian use. Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that it was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty. Tehran had been engaged in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program to replace one that Trump abandoned in 2018. Tehran had rejected the last US offer.
New York Times
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Israel's next target is Fordo, a nuclear site hidden in a mountain.
After striking sites critical to Iran's nuclear weapons program early on Friday, Israel indicated it would next set its sights on the enrichment site known as Fordo, Iran's second-largest and most fortified nuclear complex. The Fordo site, built deep underground to thwart such an attack, is where Iran has stockpiled weapons-grade uranium and could quickly produce a bomb, experts said. Fordo, they added, is Israel's most formidable impediment to halting Iran's nuclear program altogether. As Israel continued attacking Iran, Michael Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the United States, confirmed his country's intention to target the site. 'The entire operation,' he told Fox News in an interview, 'really has to be completed with the elimination of Fordo.' Here is what we know about the site: The facilities, buried deep underground in a mountain in the village of Fordo, are roughly 20 miles from the holy city of Qom. While it is likely that construction on the plant began as early as 2006, the existence of the site was publicly revealed in 2009. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Al Bawaba
a day ago
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
Iran rises red flag of revenge: What does It signal?
ALBAWABA - Iran has signaled a severe reaction to Israel's recent military attacks that killed senior Iranian commanders and scientists by raising the symbolic red flag of revenge above the Jamkaran Mosque in Qom. Deeply rooted in Shiite religious tradition, the action comes as uncertainty mounts about Tehran's response to what it has described as a direct challenge to its sovereignty. The red flag, which is often seen as a demand for retribution, has strategic and political ramifications, according to Al Jazeera's Tehran bureau. It was previously brought up in the wake of the murders of top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Qassem Soleimani. Nour Eddine Al-Dagheer, a journalist for Al Jazeera, said that while Iran often raises the flag during funeral rites, this time it was seen before to the burials, demonstrating the gravity of the situation. Operational preparation is reportedly in progress, suggesting that Iran is prioritizing a military response. Early on Friday morning, the Israeli military started synchronized attacks against important IRGC officers, nuclear facilities, and ballistic missile infrastructure. Israel presented the assault, which included more than 200 aircraft and more than 100 key targets across Iran, as a preventative action against Iran's nuclear aspirations. Chief of Staff Muhammad Bagheri and IRGC Commander Major General Hossein Salami were among those confirmed dead. They were quickly removed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who named Mohammad Pakpour the new head of the IRGC and General Abdolrahim Mousavi the new chief of staff. Critical regions around the nuclear complex in Natanz have been closed to avoid environmental harm, according to Iranian media. The Israeli action has been characterized by military experts as a strike on Iran's power centers and a serious violation of Iranian sovereignty. Iran is allegedly getting ready for a sophisticated counterattack in response. Experts predict that a mix of ballistic missiles, drones, and clandestine or cyber activities may be used. Iran may even try to attack targets within Israeli territory, according to Al Jazeera, utilizing information gleaned from freshly acquired papers that describe Israel's nuclear facilities. Across Iran, protests calling for reprisal are anticipated. Despite the departure of key officials, many predict Tehran's reaction would be on reestablishing deterrence and reclaiming its regional stance.
Wall Street Journal
2 days ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
What Is the Status of Iran's Uranium Enrichment Sites?
Iran has two main enrichment sites--Natanz and Fordow. Both are built to protect from strikes. Natanz is underground, while Fordow is built deep into a mountainside, near the holy city of Qom. Iran said on Thursday that it would accelerate its production of near-weapons-grade uranium and open a previously unrevealed enrichment site in a secure location.
Argaam
2 days ago
- Politics
- Argaam
Israel launches strikes on Iran, targets nuclear sites
Israel launched strikes at dawn today, June 13, targeting several sites inside Iran, in a major escalation in the ongoing crisis surrounding Tehran's nuclear program. Iran's state TV confirmed that the attack targeted nuclear facilities and resulted in the death of several prominent figures, including the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard and nuclear scientists Fereydoun Abbasi and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, as well as General Gholam Ali Rashid, deputy commander of the Iranian army. Local media reported hearing explosions in the capital Tehran and the cities of Qom and Tabriz. Meanwhile, Israel Airports Authority announced the closure of Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv in anticipation of a possible retaliatory response. Israel's Defense Minister said that the country declared a state of emergency after carrying out a 'preemptive strike' against Tehran, warning of an imminent counterattack involving drones and missiles. The Israeli Military Chief of Staff added that the strike targeted Iran's missile technology infrastructure and said tens of thousands of troops had been mobilized, with forces placed on the highest state of alert. The strike comes at a critical time, ahead of a new round of expected nuclear talks between the US and Iran in Oman, amid growing skepticism about the prospects of reaching a deal — particularly after recent remarks by US President Donald Trump downplaying the likelihood of diplomatic success. In response to the developments, global oil prices surged, with Brent crude jumping 8% to surpass $75 a barrel.
