THE United States attacked three sites in Iran early on Sunday, inserting itself into Israel’s war aimed at destroying the Iranian nuclear programme in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe that prompted fears of a wider regional conflict as Tehran accused Washington of launching “a dangerous war.” US President Donald Trump asserted that Iran’s key nuclear sites were “completely and fully obliterated” in an address to the nation from the White House. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the time for diplomacy had passed and that his country had the right to defend itself. “The warmongering, a lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far reaching implications of its act of aggression,” he said at a news briefing at a conference in Turkey in the first comments by a high-ranking Iranian official since the strikes. Araghchi also said that “there is no red line” that the US has not crossed — and that “the most dangerous one was what happened only last night when they crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities only.”

 

The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran confirmed that attacks took place on its Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz sites, but it insisted that its nuclear programme will not be stopped. Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog said there were no immediate signs of radioactive contamination at the three locations following the strikes. Satellite images taken after the American attack, analysed by ‘The Associated Press’, show damage to the entryways to the Fordo facility, which is dug deep into a mountain, while light gray smoke lingered in the air. The images by Planet Labs PBC also appeared to show damage to the mountain itself, apparently blocking its entry tunnels, which means Iran would have to dig out the facility to reach anything inside. It was not clear whether the US would continue attacking Iran alongside its ally Israel, which has been engaged in a war with Iran for nine days.

 

Countries around the globe are calling for diplomacy and no further escalation. Trump acted without congressional authorisation, and he also warned there would be additional strikes if Tehran retaliated against US forces. “There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran,” he said. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Washington had “betrayed diplomacy” with the military strikes in support of Israel, and said that “the US has itself launched a dangerous war against Iran” now. Iran’s Foreign Minister says diplomacy not an option after US strikes. “The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its right to resist with full force against US military aggression and the crimes committed by this rogue regime, and to defend Iran’s security and national interests,” the Ministry said. Hours after the American attacks, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it launched a barrage of 40 missiles at Israel, including its 

 

 

IRAN’S Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that with the overnight strikes on Iran, ‘there is no red line’ that the US has not crossed. He also said that the last red line “and the most dangerous one was what happened only last night when they crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities only. Araghchi on Sunday said that he’ll travel to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

 

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday conveyed to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian India’s “deep concern” over Iran’s conflict with Israel and called for immediate de-escalation of the situation through “dialogue and diplomacy”. The phone conversation initiated by Pezeshkian came hours after the US bombed three major nuclear sites -- Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan -- in Iran, bringing itself into the Israel-Iran conflict. In a social media post, Modi said he expressed “deep concern” at the recent escalations and that dialogue and diplomacy is the way forward for the early restoration of regional peace. “We discussed in detail about the current situation. Expressed deep concern at the recent escalations,” Modi said.

 

 

 

APPLAUDING US President Donald Trump’s “bold decision” to hit Iran’s nuclear facilities, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said that it demonstrated “peace through strength” and will lead to a future of peace and prosperity in the region and beyond. The US struck three sites in Iran early on Sunday with the aim of destroying the country’s nuclear programme. The sites attacked were Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. “Your (Trump’s) bold decision to target Iran’s nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history,” Netanyahu said.  “In Operation Rising Lion, Israel has done truly amazing things. But in tonight’s action againstIran’snuclear facilities, America has been truly unsurpassed. It has done what no other country on earth could do,” the Israeli Prime Minister said. The Israeli leader asserted that history would remember Trump for denying‘the world’s most dangerous regime the world’s most dangerous weapons’.

 

“His leadership today has created a pivot of history that can help lead the Middle East and beyond to a future of prosperity and peace,” Netanyahu stressed. “PresidentTrumpandIoften say: Peace through strength. First comes strength, then comespeace”,theIsraeliPrime Minister asserted. IsraeliPresidentIsaacHerzog called the US attack onIranian nuclear facilities a ‘decisive moment’andatriumphof“liberty, responsibility and security”. “In the pages of human history,this is a moment when the principles of liberty, responsibility, and security have triumphed. A decisive momentbetweentheaxisofterror and evil and the axis of hope,” Herzog wrote on the social media platform X. “This brave step serves the security and safety of the entire free world. I hope it will lead to a better future for the Middle East — and help advance the urgent release of our hostages held in captivity in Gaza,” the Israeli President said. Israel had been saying that it would destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities on its own, if required, but was urging the United States to support through its capabilities for a “swift end to it”.

 

 

 

DEFENCE Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday that America “does not seek war” with Iran in the aftermath of a surprise attack overnight on three of that country’s nuclear sites. The mission, called “Operation Midnight Hammer”, involved decoys and deception, and met with no Iranian resistance, Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said. Caine said the goal of the operation had been achieved. “Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,” Caine said.