Israel continued its targeted air campaign on Iran for a fifth consecutive day, striking key military and nuclear infrastructure as tensions soared across the Middle East. The escalation comes amid stark warnings from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who advised residents of Tehran to evacuate and hinted at a solution “better than a ceasefire”.
At least 224 people have reportedly been killed in Iran as a result of the strikes, which Israeli officials claim are aimed at dismantling the country’s nuclear weapons potential. Iran has retaliated with more than 370 missiles and hundreds of drones, killing at least 24 in Israel, according to official estimates.
The conflict has intensified global concern, particularly after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed on Tuesday that Israeli strikes had damaged not only the above-ground facilities at the Natanz uranium enrichment site but also its underground centrifuge halls.
“Based on continued analysis of high-resolution satellite imagery collected after Friday’s attacks, the IAEA has identified additional elements that indicate direct impacts on the underground enrichment halls at Natanz,” the nuclear watchdog stated.
Natanz, located roughly 220 kilometres southeast of Tehran, houses a significant portion of Iran’s nuclear capability, with 10,000 centrifuges enriching uranium up to 5%. The facility is heavily fortified and partially buried to withstand aerial assaults.
Though Israel has struck Natanz in previous years, the IAEA’s latest assessment marks the first public confirmation of damage to the facility’s subterranean components.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday declared that Israel’s operations have “set Iran’s nuclear programme back a very, very long time.” However, he acknowledged that the Fordo facility—another deep-underground enrichment site—remains untouched.
In Washington, Donald Trump cut short his attendance at the G7 summit in Canada to address the escalating crisis. Speaking aboard Air Force One, he dismissed the prospect of a ceasefire. “I’m not looking at a ceasefire. We’re looking at better than a ceasefire,” he said, suggesting that the United States seeks a comprehensive resolution involving Iran’s full capitulation on its nuclear ambitions.
“I’m not too much in the mood to negotiate,” he added, implying a toughened stance that has added to the unease in the region.
Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes. However, the IAEA has previously warned that Tehran possesses enough enriched uranium to potentially manufacture multiple nuclear weapons, despite the absence of an active weapons programme since 2003, according to U.S. assessments.
As uncertainty looms and both nations exchange deadly strikes, international observers are calling for restraint to prevent a broader regional conflict with devastating global implications.
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