Image source, Reuters
- Author, Writing
- Author's title, BBC News World
The supreme leader of Iran Ayatolá Ali Jamenei, issued a strong statement in the country's state television, on the sixth day of the conflict between his country and Israel.
“Any form of US military intervention will undoubtedly have irreparable damage,” says the statement, which was read by the presenter, not by Jamenei himself, according to Ghcheh Habibiazad, journalist of the Persian service of the BBC.
“The wise people who know Iran, their people and their history never speak to this nation with threats, because the Iranians do not give up,” adds the message of the cleric.
The message took place after reports that the president of the United States, Donald Trump, is “considering” to join Israel's attacks against Iranian nuclear facilities, according to CBS News, an American partner of the BBC.
A potential objective could be the Fordo Uranium enrichment plant, located at great depth. Only the United States has the 13,600 kg pump capable of destroying it.
Trump met on Tuesday with his national security team for almost 90 minutes in the White House Crisis Room to discuss the next steps.
According to CBS News, the president's advisors are still divided on how to proceed. On Tuesday Trump, in a message on his social networks, demanded the “unconditional surrender” of Iran.
Image source, Reuters
Official figures published by the Ministry of Health of Iran indicated on Sunday that Israeli attacks caused the death of at least 224 people, the vast majority of which were civilians. Iran's attacks left 24 dead in Israel, according to local authorities.
“Critical situation”
Frank Gardner. BBC intelligence expert.
This conflict has reached a critical situation. What Donald Trump decides to do or not could determine the future of Middle East.
Today's televised transmission of Iran's Supreme leader, Ayatolá Ali Jamenei, has dissipated any wrong hope that the Islamic Republic was about to ask for peace.
On the contrary, the old Ayatolá has launched his own glove to Trump, threatening with serious reprisals if the United States joins Israel's attacks.
Iran may have been severely weakened, not only because of the continuous Israeli air attacks in recent days, but also for the loss or dismantling of their regional allies in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza.
But it can still cause a lot of damage. If the United States attacks Iran, its main objectives will be the numerous US bases distributed throughout the gulf. The Headquarters of the Fifth Fleet of the American Navy in Mina Salman, Bahrain, is an obvious goal, but so are the US bases in Iraq and Kuwait.
But the thing doesn't end there. The massive attack with September 2019 against the Petrochemical Industry of Saudi Arabia was a fire lesson on the vulnerability of the Gulf's economic assets to Iranian missiles and drones.
If the Iranian regime felt that its own survival is in danger, or if it decided that its residents of the Persian Gulf were complicit in the attacks, it could be tempted to attack desalination plants, oil export terminals or even undermine the strategic narrow of Ormuz, which would mean the cut of almost 30% of the world supply of oil.
Attacks in nuclear facilities
The International Atomic Energy Agency (OIEA) said it has information that two centrifuging production plants in Iran were attacked.
It is likely that the centrifugators of the Iranian underground plant enrichment in Natanz have been “severely damaged, if not completely destroyed”, after Friday's Israeli attacks, according to the BBC, the director of the World Nuclear Control Agency declared to the BBC.
Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (OIEA), said that this was due to the power cuts caused by the attack, in which a surface plant was “completely destroyed” and the electrical installation suffered “almost total damage.”
He added that the damage was probably produced despite the fact that the underground room that houses the centrifugers (machines that enrich uranium) was not reached directly.
He added that four buildings were also damaged in the Isfahán nuclear plant, but that the visible damage in the Fodo enrichment underground plant were “very limited, if there was any.”
Israel said he attacked the facilities and killed nine Iranian nuclear scientists to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
Centrifugators are machines that enrich uranium, which can be used to make fuel for power plants and also for nuclear weapons.
Image source, Getty Images
“The magnitude of Iranian attacks has decreased”
Israel's defense forces confirmed the demolition of one of their drones about Iran.
“During an operational activity, Earth-Aire missiles were fired against an aircraft piloted remotely by the Air Force.”
“The device fell into the Iranian airspace, there were no victims and there is no fear of information leakage,” said an IDF spokesman.
Hugo Bachega, correspondent for the BBC in Jerusalem, points out that on the sixth day of conflict there have been more Israeli attacks against Iran, to which that country has responded with the launch of more missiles against Israel.
“The magnitude of Iranian attacks has decreased, indicating the impact of Israeli air attacks on the Iranian army,” says Bachega.
Image source, Reuters
The charta a to the UN
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar published a letter in X that, he said, sent the UN Security Council and the UN Secretary General, António Guterres.
In it, he explains Israel's reasons to launch his attacks against Iran last week.
The letter points out that the country had no other option after “decades” of “clandestine acts of hostility” by Tehran and threats of its leaders of “annihilate” Israel.
“It is not mere rhetoric. Iran has a strategic plan to eliminate Israel, which includes concrete plans and actions to achieve this goal,” says Sa'ar.
Iran is a member of the Nuclear Non -Proliferation Treaty (TNP) and states that it has the right to a peaceful nuclear program. The country has repeatedly rejected accusations that it seeks to build a nuclear weapon.
On Sunday, Iran reiterated that its nuclear program was peaceful and urged the 35 -nations board of the OIEA to strongly condemn Israeli attacks.
Israel has not signed the TNP and has never recognized having nuclear weapons.
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