Netanyahu said that the offensive will last for days and has defined the operation an “initial success”. In support of his statements he added: “We hit the heart of the Iran military nuclear program”. The attacks also involved other strategic sites, such as factories from ballistic missiles and military infrastructures.
The victims of the attacks
The Iranian supreme guide, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said that Israel will suffer serious consequences for the attack and spoke of a “bitter and painful” destiny for the country.
Tehran’s answer
A few hours after the start of the Israeli attack, Iran replied by launching over 100 drones towards Israel. Effie Defin, spokesman for the Israeli defense forces (IDF), confirmed that operations are underway to intercept them. In the meantime, Iran has promised a “hard punishment” against Israel, with the spokesperson for the Iranian armed forces, Abolfazl Shekarchi, who said: “Israel must prepare to pay a high price”.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry has branded the operation as a “clear violation of sovereignty”, also accusing the United States of having indirectly facilitated the attack.
The position of the United States and other international actors
The United States immediately rejected any involvement in the attack. State secretary Marco Rubio said that the Israeli operation was “unilateral”. He also expressed concern about a possible escalation, warning Iran not to hit American interests. Former president Donald Trump also reiterated that Iran “does not have to obtain a nuclear bomb”.
In Europe, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani invited to dialogue, underlining that the tightening of the crisis can be dangerous for global stability. Tajani also assured that the Italians present in the region are safe, despite the explosions near the residence of the Italian ambassador to Tehran.
Delays in nuclear negotiations and future implications
The attack arrives right on the eve of the interviews between Iran and the United States for the relaunch of the 2015 nuclear agreement, interrupted during the Trump administration. Israel had been declared his opposition to a possible compromise with Tehran for months. Now, the operation risks blocking the negotiations completely.
Meanwhile, Israel has declared the state of emergency, closing schools and suspending non -essential activities in different areas of the country. Meanwhile, the International Agency for Atomic Energy (AIEA) continues to monitor the radiation levels in affected sites, confirming that the Natanz plant was among the main objectives. “We are carefully monitoring this deeply worrying situation in Iran,” said the general manager Rafael Grossi.