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Israeli Airstrikes Target Iran’s Nuclear Sites, Escalate Tensions
Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Iran’s capital early Friday, targeting nuclear and military facilities in a significant escalation of the long-simmering conflict between the two nations. Explosions echoed across Tehran, killing at least five people, including the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, and two prominent nuclear scientists, Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, according to Iranian state media. At least a dozen civilians were also reported killed in the strikes.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes targeted Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility, claiming new intelligence indicated Iran was nearing a “point of no return” in developing a nuclear weapon. The Israeli military reported conducting “five waves of strikes” on dozens of targets, including nuclear and military sites. However, a U.S. intelligence source told Reuters there has been no recent change in assessments that Iran is not actively building a nuclear weapon, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei not authorizing a restart of the nuclear weapons program shuttered in 2003.
Iran vows 'decisive response'
Iran’s state news agency, IRNA, reported significant damage in Tehran, with debris from a residential compound and an apartment building highlighting the civilian toll. Iran vowed retaliation, with officials warning of a “decisive response.” Flights to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport were canceled, and Israeli residents were advised to prepare for extended periods in bomb shelters.
The strikes come amid stalled U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations, with a sixth round of talks scheduled for Sunday in Oman. President Donald Trump, briefed on the operation, expressed hope that Iran would return to the negotiating table but warned of a “chance of massive conflict” in the region. The U.S. did not participate in the strikes but has heightened alerts for its personnel in the Middle East.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the escalation, expressing particular concern over strikes on nuclear installations and urging both sides to exercise restraint to avoid a broader conflict. Jordan, located between Israel and Iran, stated it would not allow its airspace to be violated.
The attack marks a shift from Israel’s previous strategy of targeted assassinations to a broader assault on Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure. Iran has not faced such a large-scale foreign attack since its war with Iraq in the 1980s. Analysts warn that the strikes could push Iran to accelerate its nuclear program or withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, further destabilizing the region.