Israel launches ‘major strike’ on Iran
We have heard several sounds of explosions here in the capital starting at about 3am (23:30 GMT, Wednesday) local time. Between six to nine explosions have been reported across the city. I have personally heard at least two of the explosions.
The explosions did not happen in just one certain place, but rather in different parts of the city. The state television IRIB has also confirmed the explosions and showed footage of the incidents.
Iran’s Press TV says residential buildings targeted
The official Iranian news outlet shares photos of what it said were residential buildings struck in the apparent Israeli attack. The pictures showed substantial damage to the buildings.
Israeli military says it struck military and nuclear sites in Iran
The Israeli military has confirmed that it carried out strikes against Iran, using dozens of jets, saying that it targeted military and nuclear sites. It called the attack “a precise and integrated preemptive strike based on high-quality intelligence, with the aim of striking the Iranian nuclear programme”.
US not involved in strikes against Iran, says top diplomat
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warns Iran against targeting US bases in the region, stressing that Washington is not taking part in the Israeli strikes.
“We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense,” Rubio said in a statement.
“President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel.”
US-Iran talks unlikely on Sunday
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Iran analyst Trita Parsi said that with the Israeli strike against Iran early on Friday, the prospects of the talks between the US and Iran is moving “towards a much more negative situation”.
“There’s not going to be any talks this coming Sunday,” Parsi of the Quincy Institute said.
“No one knows when the talks would resume if they resume at all. We will likely see snapback actions in the UN Security Council against Iran and the re-impostion of more sanctions.”
In that scenario, it is “very likely” that Tehran will walk out of the Treaty of Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Parsi added.
“The risk of a larger confrontation will then increase.”
All indications that US was aware of Israel’s plans to attack Iran
Certainly all the arrows point in that direction that Donald Trump was told that there was going to be some sort of strike.
You’ll remember that just 48 hours ago the United States, in fact 24 hours ago the United States, announced that it was going to start moving non-essential personnel out of the embassy in Baghdad and also recommending that others in embassies around the region could also leave if they wish.
That seemed to suggest that there was going to be an attack of some sort.
Donald Trump in the last few hours put out a post on his Truth Social platform saying that he had directed his entire government to move towards a diplomatic solution with Iran.
The bottom line was he didn’t want Iran to get a nuclear weapon but he was hoping that there would be talks. The fact that the Israelis have gone ahead would suggest that while the US was not involved, and that’s what we’re hearing, they were informed about what was likely to happen.
Donald Trump currently at the congressional picnic at the White House would have been informed in what exactly the Israelis were going to do. The big question now of course is how the United States react to any response from Iran.
