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Pakistan says US strikes on Iran nuclear sites violate international law, IAEA statute
Pakistan says US strikes on Iran nuclear sites violate international law, IAEA statute

Arab News

time2 hours ago

  • Politics
  • Arab News

Pakistan says US strikes on Iran nuclear sites violate international law, IAEA statute

ISLAMABAD: The United States (US) airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities violate international law and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) statute, the Pakistan prime minister's office said on Sunday, as experts warned of their economic and security implications for Islamabad. The strikes, which targeted three Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz early Sunday, came amid Israel's ongoing campaign against Iran's nuclear program, which Israeli officials claim is nearing weaponization, an allegation Iran denies, insisting its activities remain peaceful and under international safeguards. While the amount of damage remained unclear, the strikes have fueled fears of a wider conflict, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying the US had 'crossed a very big red line,' the time for diplomacy was over and Iran had the right to defend itself. US President Donald Trump warned Tehran against retaliation. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday afternoon and conveyed Pakistan's condemnation of the US attacks, which targeted Iranian nuclear facilities that were under the safeguards of the IAEA, according to Sharif's office. 'These attacks constituted a serious violation of international law and the IAEA Statute,' Sharif's office said. 'While noting Iran's right to self-defense, as enshrined under Article 51 of the UN Charter, the prime minister stressed upon the need to immediately return to dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable path forward.' Sharif called for urgent collective efforts to de-escalate the situation and reiterated Pakistan's readiness to play a constructive role in this context, according to his office. President Pezeshkian conveyed his appreciation for Pakistan's support to Iran. Pakistan's foreign office earlier said Islamabad condemned the strikes and was 'gravely concerned' at the possible further escalation of tensions in the region. 'Any further escalation of tensions will have severely damaging implications for the region and beyond,' it said, adding that Iran had the right to defend itself under the United Nations (UN) Charter and urged all parties to respect international humanitarian law, protect civilian lives and 'immediately bring the conflict to an end.' 'Recourse to dialogue, diplomacy, in line with the principles and purposes of the UN Charter remain the only viable pathway to resolve the crises in the region.' Tensions flared on June 13 when Israel launched airstrikes against what it described as Iran's military leadership and nuclear infrastructure. Iran, a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), has since retaliated with missile attacks on Israeli targets. The United States, Israel's closest ally, has now directly joined the campaign. Experts have warned that the latest US strikes could have 'catastrophic' economic and security implications for Pakistan. 'The economic implications of a wider war would be catastrophic for Pakistan. First and foremost, if the Strait of Hormuz is closed, our major concern will be the import of oil, as most of our oil supplies come from the Middle East,' Shakeel Ramay, a Pakistani economist, told Arab News. 'This would severely impact our economy since a significant portion of our power grid is powered by imported oil and gas from the region. The disruption would affect electricity production and have far-reaching consequences for our transportation network as well. The government will need to manage rising prices in the short term.' Lt. Gen. (retired) Naeem Lodhi, a former Pakistani defense secretary, said Pakistan had so far acted 'wisely' by condemning the attacks on Iran and offering to mediate the crisis. 'At this point, Pakistan needs to remain alert and ensure that it does not get directly involved. It must not allow any country — on either side — to use its soil, airspace, or any other assets,' he told Arab News. 'Although staying completely uninvolved is difficult due to our geographic proximity, it is still the most desirable course of action.' If the war expanded, Lodhi said, Pakistan would face 'serious challenges.' 'Many Pakistanis believe that if Iran is defeated in this war, it could create long-term problems for Pakistan,' he said. 'A new regime in Iran might not be friendly toward Pakistan and could even become hostile, bringing yet another threat to our borders. That is a key concern Pakistan must keep in mind.' The crisis also raises questions about how Islamabad will navigate its delicate balancing act between Iran, other Gulf partners, and the United States, which remains one of Pakistan's largest trading partners and a critical source of military and economic assistance. 'Certain demands may be made that Pakistan will find hard to ignore. For instance, if Arab countries become involved — which is likely — there could be strong pressure on Pakistan to support them in some capacity, whether through logistics, access to airspace, or even bases,' Lodhi said. 'While it may be relatively easier to say no to the United States despite its influence, refusing multiple allied Arab countries will be much more difficult. Still, Pakistan's current leadership, especially the military leadership, is well aware of these dangers and will likely try to keep the country out of the conflict.'

Iran warns it 'reserves all options' after US airstrikes on nuclear sites: Recap
Iran warns it 'reserves all options' after US airstrikes on nuclear sites: Recap

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Politics
  • Yahoo

Iran warns it 'reserves all options' after US airstrikes on nuclear sites: Recap

The United States joined Israel's war with Iran after President Donald Trump ordered airstrikes on three nuclear targets, winning praise and condemnation from members of Congress and new defiance from Tehran. "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated," Trump said in a live address on June 21, threatening further U.S. strikes if Iran failed to accept a diplomatic solution. Bombs and missiles launched from U.S. warplanes hit nuclear sites at Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz. No U.S. personnel were injured in the operation, which struck Iran well after midnight on June 22 local time. With 40,000 troops in the Persian Gulf region, the United States faces potential Iranian reprisals in the days ahead. Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, warned that the country "reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people," saying America's strike was "outrageous and will have everlasting consequences." "Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior," he said on social media. Trump's move was assailed by some conservative Republicans and progressive Democrats in Congress as illegal, while others praised him after more than a week of Israeli airstrikes on Iran and retaliatory missile fire wreaking havoc in Israel. "There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days," Trump said. More: U.S. hits Iran nuclear facilities, braces for counterattack Multiple explosions were heard in central Israel, including over Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, in the early hours of June 22. Israel's military said sirens that sounded across the region were "due to another Iranian missile launch." Millions of people in the country entered safe rooms and bomb shelters as explosions rang out. The health ministry said 86 people were injured overnight. It was not immediately clear how many missiles had pierced Israel's air defense systems, but police confirmed at least three impact sites in residential areas in central and northern Israel. Video from Tel Aviv and the port city of Haifa further north showed rescue teams combing through debris, apartments reduced to rubble, mangled cars along a street filled with debris and medics evacuating injured people from a row of blown out houses. Iran reserves all options to defend itself after U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities, Araqchi shared on X, saying the attacks were "outrageous and will have everlasting consequences." "Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior," he said. The U.S. attacks against three of Iran's nuclear facilities, following Israeli attacks over the previous week, prompted questions about the potential risks of radiological or chemical releases. Both "The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists" and the International Atomic Energy Agency have previously stated the offsite risks are low from attacks at Fordow and Natanz. But in a June 20 post, François Diaz-Maurin, an associate editor for nuclear affairs at the atomic bulletin, termed the offsite risk at Isfahan "moderate," because it's one of the "most important sites for Iran's nuclear program." However, the International Atomic Energy Agency said June 22 there had been no increase in off-site radiation levels reported. The nuclear complex in Isfahan, a key site of the Iranian nuclear program, has repeatedly been attacked and extensively damaged before June 21, said Rafael Mariano Grossi, agency director. "Based on our analysis of the nuclear material present, we don't see any risk of off-site contamination," Grossi said. – Dinah Pulver The Pentagon's attack on Iran's nuclear facility employed its most powerful bunker-buster bomb as well as Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from submarines, according to a U.S. official. Pentagon planners coordinated the attack with Israel to enter Iran's airspace, said the official who had been briefed on the mission but was not authorized to speak publicly. B-2 bombers dropped GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs, the first time they have been used in combat. The stealth bombers were accompanied by other aircraft, the official said, though it was unclear the type of warplane. The Pentagon's most sophisticated fighter, the F-22, was a likely candidate. Trump declared the attack a success, saying Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities had been completely "obliterated." The official, however, said battle-damage assessments had not reached a firm conclusion. − Tom Vanden Brook Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is the latest lawmaker to take to social media in the hours after Trump's strikes on Iran to weigh in on the move, calling it "grounds for impeachment." "The President's disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers," she said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, published shortly after Trump's White House address. Congress is the only branch of government that has the power to declare war, however, presidents have engaged in foreign conflicts in recent decades under the executive authority to authorize defensive strikes. "He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations," Ocasio-Cortez said. "It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment." − Kathryn Palmer Tehran could respond to Trump's strikes by launching counterattacks on U.S. military bases in the Middle East, current and former U.S. officials say. American bases in Gulf countries and Iraq and Syria could become targets, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro told USA TODAY before Trump attacked Iran. Iran could also target regional energy facilities and block oil and gas shipments from crossing the Strait of Hormuz, said Shapiro, the former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East in the Biden administration. Roughly 40,000 American troops are stationed in the region. Trump warned in a Truth Social post of "far greater" force against Iran if it pursues retaliation. − Francesca Chambers The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, blasted Trump's attack as an "illegal and unjustified act of war" that favors the wishes of Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu over the American people and threatens to drag the United States into a wider conflict. "We condemn President Trump's illegal and unjustified act of war against Iran," CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said in a statement. "This attack, carried out under pressure from the out-of-control Israeli government, took place despite the longstanding conclusion by our nation's intelligence community that Iran was not seeking nuclear weapons." "Just as President Bush started a disastrous war in Iraq pushed by war hawks, neoconservatives, and Israeli leaders like Netanyahu, President Trump has attacked Iran based on the same type of false information put forward by those who consistently seek to drag our nation into unnecessary and catastrophic wars," Awad said. – Josh Meyer Hours after the U.S. military launched strikes against three nuclear sites in Iran, Trump addressed the nation from the White House calling the operation a "spectacular military success." He said Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will hold a press conference at 8 a.m. on July 22 at the Pentagon. Trump said the mission's objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the "world's number one state sponsor of terror." "If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill," said Trump. "Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes." – Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy Terror alert levels should be elevated in the near term, even in major cities outside the Middle East and anywhere Iran may have sleeper cells, said Andrew Borene, a former senior official at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the National Counterterrorism Center. "What happens next is largely going to be driven by Tehran's next moves. Their shadow wars have never been confined to missiles, drones, and cyber attacks," said Borene, who is now executive director for global security at private intelligence firm Flashpoint. Offensive cyber operations on critical infrastructure, or terrorist attacks by Iranian proxies, also could rapidly derail hope for de-escalation and diplomacy in the near term, Borene said. – Josh Meyer "There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days,' Trump said. He noted that there are many other targets in Iran. "If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes," he said. – Sarah Wire Law enforcement in New York and Washington both increased police presence at places of worship and other sensitive sites as Americans reacted to the strikes. "At this time, there are no known threats to the District," Washington's Metropolitan Police Department shared in a post on X. "However, MPD has maintained an increased presence at religious institutions across the city." Similarly, the New York Police Department said it's "deploying additional resources to religious, cultural, and diplomatic sites across NYC." – Marina Pitofsky "Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace," Trump said in his address to the nation. "If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier." He then described tactics of the regime. "For 40 years, Iran has been saying, 'Death to America,' 'Death to Israel,'" he said. "They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs with roadside bombs. That was their specialty." The president appeared to be referring to attacks launched by Iran-backed militants in the years after the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. – Erin Mansfield Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump for bombing three Iran nuclear sites, saying the decision could lead the Middle East toward a future of "prosperity and peace." "America has been truly unsurpassed," Netanyahu said in a video statement. "It has done what no other country on earth could do. History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world's most dangerous regime the world's most dangerous weapons." – Erin Mansfield Fordow is an Iranian underground uranium enrichment facility located about 80 to 90 meters deep inside a mountain, according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. More: US bombs Iran: What to know about possible weapon, the 'bunker buster' It is located 20 miles north of the Iranian city of Qom. Fordow was one of three nuclear sites, including Natanz and Isfahan, that were struck by US military operations on July 21 to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. "A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow," Trump wrote on Truth Social. – Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy B-2 bombers took off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri in the early morning hours of June 21. The warplanes are known not only for their stealth technology but also for their ability to fly long-range and carry the big "bunker buster" bombs used in the June 21 mission. With design and materials that limit its ability to be detected by enemy radar, the B-2 is thought to be the only aircraft equipped to carry the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or GBU-57, known as the "bunker buster." The entire fleet of B-2 stealth bombers is based at Whiteman, southeast of Kansas City, with the 509th Bomb Wing, part of the Air Force Global Strike Command. Fox News reported six bunker-buster bombs were dropped on Iran's Fordow nuclear site. – Dinah Pulver Democratic members of Congress expressed outrage over the strikes, which they said they learned about from social media. "According to the Constitution we are both sworn to defend, my attention to this matter comes BEFORE bombs fall. Full stop," said Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, in a post on X. Virginia Rep. Eugene Vindman said Trump's handling of the situation was "disgraceful." He asserted in a post that the U.S. was now at war with Iran. "And so the United States goes to war with Iran without so much as a by your leave to the American people," he said. "No statement, other than on social media; no notice to Congress; no serious deliberation." He added: "This is the stuff of autocrats. Disgraceful." War is something only Congress can formally declare. Lawmakers have also passed resolutions that authorized the use of military force like when the U.S. invaded Iraq. Trump has not said whether he plans to continue the bombing campaign, which he described as a "military operation" in a post on the attack. At least one Democrat came to Trump's defense, however: Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. "As I've long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS. Iran is the world's leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities. I'm grateful for and salute the finest military in the world," Fetterman said. Democratic Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement that was critical of Trump that Congress should "fully and immediately" be briefed in a classified setting. – Francesca Chambers The Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the power to declare war. The president is the commander in chief of the military, which means he carries out wars that Congress approves. However, presidents of both political parties have perennially used the U.S. military to bomb or invade countries without formal approval from Congress. There have even been allegations that the Korean War and the Vietnam War were illegal. Congress attempted to limit presidents from using this type of power when it passed the 1973 War Powers Act. Trump was most recently criticized for potentially violating the War Powers Act when he bombed the Houthis in Yemen, notoriously discussed on the SignalGate chat that embarrassed top officials in his administration. – Erin Mansfield B-2 bombers conducted a series of strikes on targets in Iran, according to a senior Defense Department official. There were no casualties. Measures to protect the nearly 40,000 U.S. troops in the region have been incrementally increased over the last two weeks, said the official who was not authorized to speak publicly. The Army has been at third of four levels of alert at most places in the region, the official said. – Tom Vanden Brook More: U.S. hits Iran nuclear facilities, braces for counterattack President Trump posted on Truth Social that he will be speaking to the nation at 10 p.m. ET on June 21. "I will be giving an Address to the Nation at 10:00 P.M., at the White House, regarding our very successful military operation in Iran," Trump wrote. "This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!" – Swapna Venugopal Trump's decision came under immediate criticism from at least one Republican in Congress: Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie. The lawmaker shared Trump's post on social media with the message, "This is not Constitutional." Massie had previously introduced a bill to prevent Trump from going to war with Iran without congressional authorization, which drew cosponsors that included progressive Democrats such as Rep. Ro Khanna of California. The GOP lawmaker was one of two members of Trump's political party who voted against his tax bill in the House of Representatives last month. Trump called him a "grandstander" ahead of the vote and said he should be "voted out of office." GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, an ally of Trump's, publicly pushed for the United States to stay out of the war, a half hour before Trump announced the attack. "Every time America is on the verge of greatness, we get involved in another foreign war," she said in a post on X. Greene has been one of the most outspoken opponent's within MAGA of American military involvement in the conflict that exploded on June 13 when Israel attacked Iranian nuclear sites. "There would not be bombs falling on the people of Israel if Netanyahu had not dropped bombs on the people of Iran first," she said on June 21. "Israel is a nuclear armed nation. This is not our fight. Peace is the answer." – Francesca Chambers Earlier in the day, the State Department began evacuating American citizens and permanent residents from Israel and the West Bank, U.S Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced on social media. "The Department of State has begun assisted departure flights from Israel," Huckabee wrote in a post on X on June 21 asking people seeking government assistance to fill out a form. – Swapna Venugopal The strikes followed days of Israeli bomb and drone strikes that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aimed at disrupting Iran's quest for a nuclear weapon, to which Iran responded by launching missiles at Israeli civilian targets. Netanyahu had been pressing Trump to enter the war, knowing the Pentagon possesses the ability to destroy Iran's nuclear enrichment capability. In his first term, Trump pulled out of the Iran deal brokered by President Barack Obama in 2015, saying it did not do enough to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons. As the war between Iran and Israel has spiraled in recent days, he has repeated that Iran "cannot" get a nuclear weapon. Iran has threatened that the United STates would suffer "irreparable damage" if it becomes directly involved in the conflict. The country "should know that any U.S. military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage," Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on June 18. The U.S. Air Force has the unique capability to destroy deeply buried, fortified structures like those that house Iran's nuclear facilities. The Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or GBU-57, has a "high-performance steel alloy" warhead case that allows the weapon to stay intact as it burrows deep into the ground, according to Pentagon documents. In 2012, the Air Force conducted five tests of the weapon at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Data and visual inspections showed that each bombing run "effectively prosecuted the targets." More: Israel wants to demolish Iran's nuclear facilities. Does it need US military help? There's only one warplane in the Air Force that can carry the bomb. Each B-2 Spirit stealth bomber based at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri can hold two of the penetrators. Israel had sought the Pentagon to drop the bombs because their penetrating weapons cannot reach the depth necessary to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly. – Tom Vanden Brook Contributing: Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US bombs nuclear sites in Iran; Trump issues warning: Recap

Gulf markets hold steady despite US entry in Israel-Iran war
Gulf markets hold steady despite US entry in Israel-Iran war

The National

time7 hours ago

  • Business
  • The National

Gulf markets hold steady despite US entry in Israel-Iran war

Gulf stock markets held steady on Sunday after the US struck three nuclear sites in Iran in overnight attacks, escalating the Israel-Iran war that threatens to disrupt energy supplies from the oil-rich region. Benchmark gauges in Doha, Kuwait advanced while stocks in Bahrain were little changed in early trade. The main index of the bourse in Muscat, however, retreated slightly. Doha's main stock measure was up 0.88 per cent at 11.05am UAE time while the main market in Kuwait advanced 1.06 per cent, while Bahrain's bourse was 0.04 per cent lower. Muscat bourse's main index slid 0.48 per cent. " GCC investor sentiment will be shaped by rising geopolitical risk following US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites," Iridium Advisor said in a note on Sunday morning. Investor attention is now centred on the risk of Iranian retaliation, particularly toward US assets, regional energy infrastructure, and maritime routes like the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, it said. "While broad financial disruption appears unlikely, markets will monitor liquidity conditions. For now, the market impact will hinge more on the nature and timing of Tehran's response than the strikes themselves." The US military bombed three nuclear sites in Iran, President Donald Trump said on Saturday night, calling the attacks a "spectacular military success". "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated," he said. He also warned of the possibility of further attacks, saying there were "many targets left". "Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier." Iran retaliated on Sunday morning with about 25 missiles, authorities said. The war, which began on June 13 following air strikes by Israel on Tehran, has rattled investors. The UAE markets ended higher last week, with the Dubai Financial Market up 1.5 per cent at the close of session and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange gaining 0.95 per cent at market close. Global stocks ended last week on a mixed note, with both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq composite ending the session on Friday lower, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed slightly higher. In Europe, London's FTSE 100 closed 0.2 per cent lower, while Paris' CAC 40 gained 0.5 per cent. Frankfurt's DAX was up 1.3 per cent. In Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index edged 1.3 per cent higher and Shanghai's composite was down 0.07 per cent, with Japan's Nikkei down 0.2 per cent.

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