Early Friday morning (local time), Israel launched a series of what it has termed “preemptive strikes” against Iran’s nuclear facilities. Targets included senior military officials within the regime and the Natanz Nuclear Facility, where it is believed Tehran is in the process of developing nuclear weapons. In retaliation, Iran has reportedly sent more than 100 drones to bombard Israel.
The attacks come ahead of US talks related to Iran’s nuclear program, scheduled to take place this weekend in Oman. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made clear that this was a “unilateral action” by Israel, that America was “not involved in strikes against Iran, and that “our top priority is protecting American forces in the region.”
"Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel,” Rubio said in a statement. However, an announcement broadcast on state TV by Senior Iranian lawmaker Aladdin Boroujerdi confirmed that the talks with the US would not be taking place.
Extent of Strikes
Early reports suggest the actions in Tehran killed Major General Hossein Salami, the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the chief of staff of the armed forces, General Mohammad Bagheri.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of the operation, “Rising Lion,” detailing the purpose and scope of the attack. He said, “We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment program. We struck at the heart [of] Iran's nuclear weaponization program … We targeted Iran's main enrichment facility in Natanz. We targeted Iran's leading nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb.”
“Today, Israel has shown that we have learned the lessons of history,” Netanyahu said. “When enemies vow to destroy you, believe them. When enemies build weapons of mass death, stop them.”
Iran Reacts
Iran is believed to have launched over 100 drones against Israel in retaliation, which the Israeli Defense Force (at the time of writing) is intercepting. Whether this will be the lone retaliatory action is still unknown. However, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s statement on the matter suggests that this was merely the first salvo. He wrote:
“This morning, the Zionist regime opened its filthy and bloody hand to commit a crime in our beloved country, revealing its evils more than ever by targeting population centers.
“This regime must expect severe punishment. The powerful hand of the Islamic Republic's Armed Forces will not abandon it, God willing … A number of commanders and scholars were martyred in the enemy's attacks, and their successors and colleagues will immediately return to their positions, God willing.
“With this crime, the Zionist regime has prepared for itself a bitter and painful fate, which it will inevitably meet.”
Trump’s Position
Prior to the strikes (on June 12), President Trump posted a message on his Truth Social account, saying, “We remain committed to a Diplomatic Resolution to the Iran Nuclear Issue! My entire Administration has been directed to negotiate with Iran. They could be a Great Country, but they first must completely give up hopes of obtaining a Nuclear Weapon. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
This follows earlier statements regarding the ongoing talks in which he warned that there was a risk of “massive conflict,” but that he did not think an attack was “imminent.” Trump said he did not want Israel to attack Iran because it could scupper the likelihood of an eventual agreement. He added, though, that such an attack “might help it, actually. But it also could blow it.”
For Iran, it seems the diplomatic clock has run out of time.
