What’s happening now
• Israel attacks Iran: Israel has launched unprecedented strikes on Iran, targeting its nuclear program and military leaders in an attack that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said will last many days. Israel’s military says it used 200 fighter jets. In retaliation, Iran launched over 100 drones toward Israeli territory, Israel’s military said.
• Military leaders killed: General Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, was killed in the attack. He was among the country’s most powerful figures. The attack also killed Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s highest-ranking military officer.
• Nuclear targets: Netanyahu said “Operation Rising Lion” struck Iran’s main enrichment facility in Natanz, nuclear scientists, and what he called “the heart of Iran’s ballistic missiles program.” Six nuclear scientists were killed, Iranian state-affiliated Tasnim news agency reported.
• US position: Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was no US involvement or assistance in the strikes. Before the attack, President Donald Trump said he did not want Israel to target Iran as US negotiations on a nuclear deal continue.
Iran’s Arab neighbors condemn Israel’s recent strikes as concerns over regional escalation soar
Multiple Arab countries have issued statements of condemnation against Israel’s strikes on the Islamic Republic, a clear indication of their intent to avoid becoming targets amid the current escalation.
Saudi Arabia expressed its “strong condemnation and denunciation” of Israel’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear program and senior military leaders.
“While the Kingdom condemns these heinous attacks, it affirms that the international community and the (UN) Security Council bear a great responsibility to halt this aggression,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.
Iran and Saudi Arabia have shared a rivalry for decades as two regional powerhouses divided on religious lines. They have significantly improved their relations recently.
The United Arab Emirates, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020, condemned the attack “in the strongest terms.”
Qatar, which has been accused by Israeli officials of supporting Hamas, called Israel’s attack “a blatant violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security.”
The largest United States military base in the Middle East is located in Qatar, while the UAE hosts thousands of American troops near the capital Abu Dhabi, making these countries targets if Iran chose to retaliate against Israel’s biggest ally, the US.
Oman, which is mediating talks between Washington and Tehran condemned Israel’s attack, saying it was “reckless” and executed at an “extremely sensitive time” for the nuclear negotiations.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who is striving to establish sovereignty by decreasing the influence Iran has established for decades over his country, said he “strongly” condemned the “dangerous Israeli aggression,” he said.
“It constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and Iranian sovereignty, and its repercussions threaten the stability of the entire region and even world peace.”
