Iran has stated it will not engage in discussions about the future of its nuclear program while facing attacks from Israel, as Europe endeavors to persuade Tehran to return to negotiations and the United States contemplates its involvement in the conflict.
One week into its military campaign, Israel reported having targeted numerous military sites overnight, including missile production facilities, a research organization it claimed was engaged in nuclear weapons development in Tehran, as well as military installations in western and central Iran.
The Israel Defense Forces later announced they had targeted surface-to-air missile batteries in southwestern Iran to establish air superiority over the region.
According to Fars news agency, at least five individuals sustained injuries when Israel struck a five-story building in Tehran that housed a bakery and a hairdresser.
A woman walks through the rubble of damaged buildings in Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv
The head of the UN nuclear watchdog cautioned against assaults on nuclear facilities and urged maximum restraint.
“An armed attack on nuclear sites… could lead to radioactive releases with significant consequences both within and beyond the borders of the attacked state,” Rafael Grossi, director of the International Agency for Atomic Energy, told the UN Security Council.
This statement came a day after an Israeli military official remarked that it was a “mistake” for a military spokesperson to claim that Israel had struck Bushehr, Iran’s sole nuclear power station.
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He stated that he could neither confirm nor deny the striking of the Russian-built Bushehr plant, situated on the Gulf coast. Iran claimed its air defenses had been activated in Bushehr but did not provide further details.
Israel asserts it is committed to incapacitating Iran’s nuclear capabilities while aiming to avoid any nuclear catastrophe.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, also addressing the Security Council, warned that the Iran-Israel conflict could ignite an uncontrollable fire and urged all parties to “give peace a chance”.
The White House announced yesterday that President Donald Trump would make a decision regarding US involvement in the conflict within the next two weeks.
Fars news agency reported an Iranian military spokesman stating that Tehran’s missile and drone attacks employed long-range and ultra-heavy missiles targeting military sites, defense industries, and command and control centers.
Approximately 20 missiles were launched in these recent Iranian strikes, according to an Israeli military official, resulting in at least two injuries as reported by the Israeli ambulance service.
The aftermath of Israel’s attack on Iran’s state broadcaster earlier this week
Amid rising worries over attacks on energy facilities in Iran or elsewhere in the Gulf that could disrupt supplies, Qatar conducted crisis talks with energy companies this week, as shared by an industry source and a regional diplomat to Reuters.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi asserted that there could be no negotiations with the US “until Israeli aggression ceases”. However, he later traveled to Geneva for discussions with European foreign ministers, where Europe hopes to rebuild diplomatic pathways regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
Before his meeting with representatives from France, Britain, Germany, and the European Union’s foreign policy chief, two diplomats indicated that Mr. Araqchi would be informed of the US’s ongoing openness to direct talks. Yet, expectations for a breakthrough remain low, according to diplomats.
A senior Iranian official informed Reuters that Iran is open to discussing limits on uranium enrichment but would categorically reject any proposals for zero enrichment—prohibiting all uranium enrichment, “especially now amid Israeli strikes.”
Thousands of Iranians protest in Tehran’s main squares against Israel’s recent attacks on multiple cities
Israel initiated its attacks on Iran last Friday, asserting that its long-time adversary was on the cusp of developing nuclear weapons. Iran, maintaining that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes, responded with missile and drone strikes on Israel.
Israel is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, although it neither confirms nor denies this.
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, a US-based human rights organization monitoring Iran, Israeli airstrikes have resulted in the deaths of 639 individuals in Iran, including high-ranking military officials and nuclear scientists.
In Israel, 24 civilians have been reported killed due to Iranian missile attacks, according to local authorities.
Read more: Harris in call with Jordan, Saudi ministers amid repatriation efforts. Watch: How the US could become involved in attacks on Iran.
President Trump has fluctuated between threatening Tehran and urging it to resume nuclear negotiations. His special envoy to the region, Steve Witkoff, has reportedly communicated with Mr. Araqchi several times since last week.
The Trump administration has imposed new Iran-related sanctions on various entities aimed at disrupting Tehran’s access to dual-use technology.
Western and regional officials suggest that Israel is attempting to destabilize the government of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iranian opposition groups believe their moment is approaching; however, activists from previous protests express reluctance to incite mass unrest while the nation is under attack.
Iranian state media has reported demonstrations in various cities, characterizing them as gatherings of “solidarity and resistance”.
