Iran says it attacked nuclear site in Israel

Nuclear research center in Dimona. Reproduction/Google Maps Iran claimed this Saturday (21) to have attacked the Israeli city of Dimona, where a nuclear installation is located, in “response” to the bombing of the Natanz underground complex, equipped to enrich uranium. Israel is considered the only country with nuclear weapons in the Middle East, but it maintains a policy of “strategic ambiguity”, which it neither confirms nor denies. Officially, the Dimona plant in the Negev desert is a nuclear research and energy supply center. According to the foreign press, she participated in the manufacture of atomic weapons in recent decades. Dozens of people were injured, especially by projectile shrapnel in Dimona, where a building suffered a “direct hit from an Iranian missile”, according to local authorities. See the videos that are trending on g1 Israeli television showed images of a building with the facade largely destroyed, punctured and full of shrapnel. Iran claimed responsibility for launching the missiles. He said it was in “response” to the “enemy” attack against the Natanz complex, in the center of the country. According to the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, there is no record of “leakage of radioactive materials” at this site. The Israeli Army responded that it had “no knowledge” of the alleged attack. Public television Kan attributed its authorship to the United States. Risk of nuclear accident For his part, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, called for “military moderation to avoid any risk of nuclear accident”. Iran’s ally Russia called the Natanz bombing “irresponsible” attacks that pose “real risks of catastrophe across the entire Middle East region.” Western powers suspect that Iran is trying to acquire an atomic bomb, despite its repeated denials. This is one of the alleged reasons for the attacks launched on February 28 by Israel and the United States. The Israeli Army said last night it had attacked the Malek-Ashtar university center in Tehran, “used by the Iranian terrorist regime to develop nuclear weapons components.” As the war enters its fourth week, the intensity has not abated. The US military said it had destroyed an Iranian bunker equipped with weapons that threatened oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. The head of the American military command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, said that warplanes “destroyed” an underground facility off the coast of Iran that stored anti-ship cruise missiles, mobile missile launchers and other equipment. According to him, this reduced Iran’s ability “to threaten freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz.” Iran blocks access to this route through which around a fifth of the oil and liquefied natural gas consumed around the world used to pass, in response to attacks by Israel and the United States. The clashes caused oil prices to soar, to the point where a barrel of North Sea Brent rose more than 50% in the last month and was traded at around 105 dollars. This prompted the European Commission to ask EU countries to fill their gas reserves for next winter to 80% instead of 90%, with the aim of easing pressure on prices. Around twenty countries, including the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, France and Japan, declared their “willingness to contribute to the efforts” necessary to reopen the strait. “We will not stop” Israel warned that the intensity of attacks “will increase considerably” in the coming days. “We will not stop until all war objectives have been achieved,” said Israel Katz, Israeli Defense Minister. On Friday, President Donald Trump stated that the United States is “on the verge of achieving” its objectives and plans to “gradually reduce” “military efforts” in the country, but ruled out a ceasefire. But, according to some analysts, Iran still has the capacity to retaliate. “It could continue for another four to six weeks,” predicts Neil Quilliam, a geopolitics expert at the Chatham House center. On Friday, Tehran carried out a “failed” attack against the British-American Diego Garcia base, located 4,000 kilometers from its territory, according to an official British source. End of Ramadan without Khamenei Since the start of the war, several figures in the Iranian regime have died, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, replaced him but has not been seen in public since his appointment. He was not present this Saturday at the Eid al-Fitr prayer, the festival that marks the end of Ramadan, in Tehran, traditionally led by the supreme leader of the Islamic republic. The war became a regional conflict as it spread to neighboring Gulf monarchies. The United Arab Emirates said it had been the target of Iranian airstrikes. Earlier, the Iranian army warned the UAE that it would respond with “strong attacks” to any offensive against the Gulf islands of Abu Musa and Tumb Mayor, controlled by Tehran but whose sovereignty is claimed by Abu Dhabi.

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