New Delhi: Tensions in the Middle East have spiralled dramatically following a series of “massive precision” airstrikes launched by the United States on Iranian nuclear facilities late on Saturday. The audacious move by the US, confirmed by President Donald Trump, has sent shockwaves across the globe, prompting immediate diplomatic outreach from India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing “deep concern,” held a direct conversation with Iran’s newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday, reiterating India’s unwavering call for de-escalation, dialogue, and diplomacy.
The targeted strikes, impacting key Iranian nuclear sites including Fordow, Natanz, and an unspecified facility in Isfahan, were designed to “obliterate” Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity, according to President Trump, who issued a stern warning of further action if Tehran fails to step back from confrontation. This direct intervention by Washington marks a significant escalation in the already volatile regional landscape, which has been simmering with heightened Israel-Iran hostilities.
Iran, while acknowledging the attacks, vehemently denounced them as a blatant violation of international law, including the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) labelled the US action as “savage aggression,” simultaneously assuring its citizens that no radiation contamination was detected at the targeted sites and vowing that the nation’s nuclear activities would continue undeterred. The AEOI also criticised the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for its perceived “indifference—and even complicity” in the face of these strikes, though the IAEA has since confirmed no increase in off-site radiation levels and announced an emergency meeting of its Board of Governors for Monday.
Meanwhile, Israel has thrown its full weight behind the US action, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu effusively praising President Trump’s decision, hailing it as an act that would “change history” and deny Iran the world’s “most dangerous weapons.” The international community now watches with bated breath as the implications of these strikes unfold, with fears mounting over the potential for a wider, more devastating conflict in the Middle East.