The Israeli Attack on Iran’s Nuclear Enrichment Facility: U.S.-Iran Nuclear Interactions and the Implications for the Security and Security of the Middle East
Netanyahu said that Israel had attacked Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility. Rafael Grossi, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said his agency was in contact with Iranian officials to monitor radiation levels.
Air raid sirens sounded in Jordan with announcements from mosques advising Jordanians to seek shelter. The government of Jordan, which neighbors Israel, said it had intercepted several missiles and drones overflying the country Friday morning.
The attacks followed repeated concerns from Israel about Iran’s advancing nuclear program. Netanyahu justified the attacks as a fight for the country’s survival.
Iran has been declared in violation of non-proliferation agreements by the IAEA. Iran says its uranium enrichment program is for peaceful purposes.
Iran appeared to adopt an ambiguous stance on Saturday toward further negotiations with the United States over the future of its nuclear program, calling the talks “meaningless” while also suggesting that a final decision on whether to participate was still pending.
The sixth round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks was scheduled for Sunday in Muscat, the capital of Oman. The Israeli airstrikes that began on Friday and continued on Saturday thrown into question the manner in which the nuclear facilities in Iran were targeted.
Iran’s state news media quotes the spokesman of the Foreign Ministry as saying that it is still unclear which decision will be made on Sunday.
After the initial round of Israeli attacks on Friday, the state news media said that the Islamic Republic had suspended its participation in the talks, until further notice.
He said that Israel wanted toentangle Western nations in conflicts in the region. “It seems that it has succeeded this time as well and has somehow influenced a diplomatic process with this adventure. This actually shows that American policymakers are still heavily affected and influenced by this regime.”
The senior Iranian figures killed by Israel included Ali Shamkhani, a former secretary of the Supreme National Council, who was overseeing the talks as part of a committee named by Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In his previous statement, Mr. Baghaei had also accused Washington of undermining the talks. He accused the US of acting in a way that makes dialogue meaningless and also of giving Israel’s consent to attack.
The senior State Department official said at the meeting that Iran’s leadership will be wise to negotiate at this time.
Mr. Trump has written on social media that even more brutal attacks are in store for Iran if it does not make a deal. Iran does not want to develop nuclear weapons.
