The military escalation in the Middle East is intensifying following Israel’s nighttime attack on Iranian nuclear facilities.
This is reported by Kyiv24
On the night of June 12-13, Israeli forces carried out powerful missile strikes on key nuclear sites in Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the operation aimed to prevent the development of Iran’s nuclear program, which poses a threat to Israel’s existence. According to him, if Tehran is not stopped, Iran could quickly acquire nuclear weapons.
Loss of Iranian Command and Nuclear Experts
Global media report the deaths of several high-ranking Iranian military officials and scientists. Among those eliminated are Hussein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Major General Gholam-Ali Rashid, who headed the Central Headquarters of this organization. Leading experts in the nuclear program were also killed: former head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani and president of Azad Islamic University Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, who specialized in laser isotope separation.
There are reports of injuries to the advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Shamkhani.
Key Targets Under Attack and International Reaction
Strategically important Iranian sites were targeted in the Israeli strikes: a plutonium reactor in Khondab, an underground missile-nuclear complex in Khorramabad (which houses a launch base and nuclear material storage), nuclear technology facilities in Isfahan (including a uranium processing plant and research reactors), as well as a research laboratory near Tabriz, which Israel considered a backup site for small reactors.
“We delivered a very successful first strike and, with God’s help, we will achieve much more,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video address.
In Israel, a state of emergency was declared following the strike. Meanwhile, Iran responded with a massive launch of combat drones over Israeli territories.
Washington quickly reacted to the onset of hostilities. Former U.S. President Donald Trump, in an interview with Fox News shortly after the Israeli airstrikes began, emphasized:
“Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb, and we hope to return to the negotiating table.”
The sixth round of negotiations between representatives of the U.S. and Iran was scheduled to take place this weekend in Oman, according to reports from American media.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the U.S. was not involved in planning or executing the strike and did not provide any assistance to Israel in this operation.
At the same time, a representative of the Iranian armed forces threatened that Israel and the U.S. would “pay a heavy price” for the bombing.
Before the missile strikes by Israel on Iran, the United States evacuated non-essential personnel and their families from its embassy in Baghdad.