Netanyahu Threatens Iranian Strikes Indefinitely
In the heart of the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unleashed a massive assault on Iran's nuclear program and military facilities, igniting a violent new conflict. The attack, years in the making, targeted facilities central to Iran's nuclear aspirations, claiming the lives of Iran's top military commanders, leading scientists, and aimed to disable the country's air defenses.
Iran countered on Friday night with waves of ballistic missile strikes on Israel. According to a US official, the US provided assistance in shooting down Iranian missiles. Tel Aviv was among Iran's targets, resulting in one fatality and over 30 injuries, as per Israeli police and emergency services. Later reports indicated two more deaths and 19 additional injuries from a second strike in central Israel.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a chilling threat to Israel, vowing "heavy blows" in retaliation. Khamenei asserted, "They should not assume that they hit [us] and it is over. No. They were the ones to start it and waged a war." In response, Netanyahu remained resolute, assuring that Israel's attacks would continue "for as long as necessary, to distance and remove the threat as much as we can."
Over on his Truth Social platform, former US President Donald Trump warned Tehran, stating the next "already planned attacks" on Iran would be "even more brutal." Trump stressed, "Iran must make a deal [on its nuclear program], before there is nothing left."
For over two decades, Israel has regarded Iran's nuclear activities as an existential threat. Netanyahu has long opposed U.S. and other powers' efforts to negotiate with Tehran, which insist its program is purely peaceful. US administrations dating back to George W. Bush have endeavored to prevent an Israeli strike on the Islamic republic due to fears of a broader conflict, but Trump has demonstrated fewer reservations. Speaking to ABC News, Trump expressed his approval for the Israeli attack, stating, "I think it's been excellent."
The attack could last for up to two weeks, according to Israeli military officials, while others report that dozens of strikes have already occurred. After massive explosions rocked Tehran at about 3:30 am local time on Friday, state television showed smoke rising from the main command headquarters of the Revolutionary Guards, Iran's most powerful military force, in eastern Tehran.
Iranian state news agency reported several senior military figures, including Major General Hossein Salami, head of the elite Revolutionary Guards, were killed. Other notable casualties include Israel's alleged killing of the IRGC air force commander and two prominent physics professors. Unofficial estimates suggest that 78 people were killed and 329 injured by the Israeli strikes on military sites and residential areas in Tehran province.
As the conflict intensifies, US stocks plummeted, with the S&P 500 ending Friday's session down 1.1% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite dropping 1.3%. Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, surged as much as 12.5%, before paring back to $74.36 a barrel, up 7.2%. The Israel Defense Forces reported damage to an underground facility in Natanz, Iran's main site for uranium enrichment, which can produce both nuclear fuel and weapons-grade material.
In an effort to establish air supremacy, the IDF carried out a large-scale strike against Iran's air defenses, including bases at Hamadan and Tabriz in western Iran. Israeli security officials hinted that Mossad operatives had smuggled explosive drones and precision weapons into Iran, which were then used to target missile launchers and surface-to-air missile systems.
The attack took place ahead of a sixth round of negotiations between the Trump administration and Iran, aimed at resolving the nuclear crisis. Netanyahu, who had been lobbying the U.S. to support military action against Iran, claimed Tehran was buying time, alluding to U.S. and Israeli demands that Iran halt its nuclear enrichment program.
Criticism of the Israeli strikes came swiftly from Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Turkey, with Riyadh stating the attack violated international laws. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Washington was not involved in strikes against Iran and its top priority was protecting American forces in the region. He added, "Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defence. Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel."
Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi claimed the strikes could not have happened without a green light from the U.S., stating that Washington was "responsible for the dangerous repercussions of this aggression." Earlier in the week, Tehran threatened to target American bases across the region if attacked. Over the years, Tehran has been enriching uranium close to weapons grade, with both Israel and the U.S. vowing to prevent the republic from developing nuclear weapons. The board of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN atomic watchdog, declared on Thursday that Iran was in breach of its non-proliferation obligations, the first such censure in two decades.
The strikes cap nearly two years of conflict across the Middle East, which began with the war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023, triggered by Palestinian militant group's attacks on Israel.
- The turbulent Middle East situation, exacerbated by the recent attack on Iran's nuclear program and military facilities by Israel, has resulted in a significant impact on global markets, as evidenced by the plummeting of US stocks, with the S&P 500 ending Friday's session down 1.1% and the Nasdaq Composite dropping 1.3%.
- Amidst the escalating Middle East conflict, the topic of war-and-conflicts, politics, and general-news have dominated discussions, with Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issuing chilling threats to Israel, former US President Donald Trump warning Tehran, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirming that Washington was not involved in strikes against Iran but emphasizing the importance of protecting American forces in the region.
