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Iran Israel attack: UN ‘concerned’ Israel could strike Tehran’s nuclear facilities

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Iran Israel attack: UN ‘concerned’ Israel could strike Tehran’s nuclear facilities

Israel Defense Forces releases statement amidst Iranian attack

The chief of the United Nations nuclear watchdog has voiced concerns over a possible attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities by Israel’s armed forces.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi was speaking after Israel’s military chief Lt Gen Herzi Halevi’s said the Iranian attack on Saturday “will be met with a response”.

The launching of more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel by Tehran has triggered concerns internationally of an escalation in the conflict.

UK foreign secretary David Cameron and US president Joe Biden are among the international leaders who have called on Israel to show restraint.

Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, has already said his country would respond to any fresh Israeli attack within seconds.

And while speculation grows over a possible retaliation attack by Israel, focus has turned to Tehran’s nuclear facilities, which were closed on Sunday over “security considerations”.

They reopened on Monday – and the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said its regular inspections would resume on Tuesday.

Asked about the possibility of an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, he said: “We are always concerned about this possibility.” He urged “extreme restraint.”

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‘UK resisting calls to ban Iran’s IRGC to maintain diplomatic link’

Banning Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) could sever the UK’s direct diplomatic link with Tehran, a minister warned.

Rishi Sunak has come under renewed pressure to proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist organisation following Iran’s missile and drone barrage aimed at Israel.

But minister Laura Farris suggested Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron wanted to maintain the ability to speak directly to Iran, something which could be jeopardised if the military force was banned.

The UK is keen to preserve diplomatic ties with Tehran to minimise the risk of a miscalculation in the Middle East which could ignite a wider war.

Mr Sunak is set to urge Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to show restraint in a call on Tuesday after the thwarting of the Iranian attack over the weekend.

Britain joined the US and other allies in shooting down Iranian attack drones on Saturday night, and has subsequently joined the US in urging calm in the region as the Israeli leader considers how to respond.

Alex Ross16 April 2024 09:25

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Iran’s nuclear facilities

The UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency director General Rafael Grossi was speaking to reporters in New York on Monday when he was asked about the threat to Iran’s nuclear facilities in the wake of speculations Israel will launch an attack in response to Saturday’s bombings.

Asked about the possibility of an Israel strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, Grossi says “We are always concerned about this possibility.” He urges “extreme restraint.”

The facilities were closed on Sunday over “security considerstions”, but reopened on Monday.

Iran’s main nuclear facilities are regularly inspected by the IAEA, and when asked if the closure would impact activity, Mr Grossi said: “We are going to resume tomorrow [Tuesday]

“This has not had an impact on our inspection activity.”

Alex Ross16 April 2024 08:31

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US air force and navy helped Israel down Iran’s missiles

US air force fighter jet squadrons as well as navy ships in the Mediterranean Sea participated in the effort to take out Iranian missiles and drones, the Pengaton said.

Navy destroyers USS Carney and USS Arleigh Burke shot down missiles from the sea.

Maj Gen Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said yesterday that some additional fighter squadrons were moved into the region before the weekend, and they remain there.

He, however, did not identify the countries where they were based.

The US will “stay in close consultation with our Israeli partners, as we have done throughout the weekend. Again, we don’t seek wider regional conflict,” he told reporters.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 April 2024 08:00

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Austin tells counterparts: ‘US does not seek escalation’

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin held calls with counterparts in the Middle East and Europe, expressing support for Israel after attacks from Iran but also stressing regional stability to prevent conflict from spreading, the Pentagon said.

Mr Austin told his counterparts that “while the United States does not seek escalation, we will continue to defend Israel and US personnel”, according to the Pentagon.

In the call with Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, Mr Austin expressed support for Israel’s defence and “reaffirmed the strategic goal of regional stability”.

“Whether or not Israel decides to retaliate against Iran is something for Israel to decide,” a Pentagon spokesperson told reporters yesterday.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 April 2024 07:30

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Voices | Netanyahu is a ruthless opportunist who will do what’s best for him

Iran has been good for Benjamin Netanyahu over his long and successful political career. Israel’s prime minister has never been backward in blaming the Ayatollahs for a myriad of ills, and bemoaning that the West was not seeing the full danger from Tehran.

Netanyahu had gained political capital from portraying himself as “Mr Security”, protecting his country from Palestinian militants and their Iranian patrons.

Now, just as Israel was getting isolated internationally and facing unprecedented levels of censure from allies over its continuing Gaza onslaught, the mass air strike by Iran has handed him a great advantage.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 April 2024 07:00

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UN concerned over Israel’s possible attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities

The UN nuclear watchdog chief yesterday said he was concerned about Israel possibly targeting Iranian nuclear facilities.

His statement comes after Israel’s military chief said his country would respond to a weekend missile and drone attack by Iran, launched in retaliation for a suspected Israeli airstrike on its embassy compound in Damascus on 1 April.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Rafael Grossi said Iran closed its nuclear facilities on Sunday over “security considerations” and that while they reopened on Monday, he kept IAEA inspectors away “until we see that the situation is completely calm”.

“We are going to resume tomorrow,” Mr Grossi told reporters in New York. “This has not had an impact on our inspection activity.”

When asked about the possibility of an Israel strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, Mr Grossi said: “We are always concerned about this possibility”. He urged “extreme restraint.”

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 April 2024 06:30

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Iran will respond to provocation ‘in seconds’

Iran’s deputy foreign minister said Tehran would not wait for days and instead would respond to any fresh Israeli provocation within seconds.

“They should know that they will not have a 12-day-long times pace,” said Ali Bagheri Kani in a televised interview last night.

“The response that they are going to receive [this time around] cannot be measured by [such time standards as] days or hours, but [will come in a matter of] seconds,” he said, according to Mehr News.

His statement comes after Israel’s military chief Herzi Halevi said Iran’s attack on the country “will be met with a response”.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 April 2024 06:04

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Israel cannot afford to risk alienating its allies over Iran

Alexander Butler16 April 2024 06:00

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G7 countries mull sanctions on Iran after Israel attack

British prime minister Rishi Sunak said the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies were working on a package of coordinated measures against Iran.

“I spoke to my fellow G7 leaders, we are united in our condemnation of this attack,” Mr Sunak said in parliament yesterday.

Italy, which holds the rotating G7 presidency, said it was open to new sanctions and suggested any new measures would target individuals.

Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani said all G7 members would have to back new sanctions.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar16 April 2024 05:30

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How Israel’s air defence repelled Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile attack

Alexander Butler16 April 2024 05:00

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