INTERNATIONAL
Israel attacks Iran's only operating nuclear power plant
A satellite image shows the nuclear reactors at the Bushehr site in Iran in this handout image dated January 1, 2025. - Maxar Technologies/via REUTERS/Filepic
TEL AVIV/JERUSALEM/DUBAI: Israel said on Thursday it had struck Iran's only functioning nuclear power plant on the Gulf coast, potentially a major escalation in its air war against Iran.
AI Brief
Israel has struck a number of Iranian nuclear targets since launching its attacks last week. But a strike on the Bushehr plant, which is located near Iran's Arab Gulf neighbours and employs technicians from Russia, would be widely be seen as a big step.
An Israeli military spokesperson said on Thursday the military had struck nuclear sites in Bushehr, Isfahan, and Natanz, and continued to target additional facilities.
Bushehr is Iran's only operating nuclear power plant. It uses Russian fuel that Russia then takes back when it is spent to reduce proliferation risk.
Iranian missiles hit an Israeli hospital overnight, as President Donald Trump kept the world guessing about whether the U.S. would join Israel in airstrikes.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to press on with Israel's biggest ever attack on Iran until his arch enemy's nuclear programme is destroyed, said Tehran's "tyrants" would pay the "full price".
His Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military had been instructed to intensify strikes on strategic-related targets in Tehran in order to eliminate the threat to Israel and destabilise the "Ayatollah regime".
Dapatkan berita terkini di sini
AI Brief
- Israel has attacked key Iranian nuclear sites in Bushehr, Isfahan, and Natanz, escalating its campaign.
- The Bushehr strike is seen as especially provocative due to its civilian use and Russian involvement.
- Trump has not confirmed whether the US will join the strikes as Israeli leaders vow to dismantle Iran's nuclear threat.
Israel has struck a number of Iranian nuclear targets since launching its attacks last week. But a strike on the Bushehr plant, which is located near Iran's Arab Gulf neighbours and employs technicians from Russia, would be widely be seen as a big step.
An Israeli military spokesperson said on Thursday the military had struck nuclear sites in Bushehr, Isfahan, and Natanz, and continued to target additional facilities.
Bushehr is Iran's only operating nuclear power plant. It uses Russian fuel that Russia then takes back when it is spent to reduce proliferation risk.
Iranian missiles hit an Israeli hospital overnight, as President Donald Trump kept the world guessing about whether the U.S. would join Israel in airstrikes.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to press on with Israel's biggest ever attack on Iran until his arch enemy's nuclear programme is destroyed, said Tehran's "tyrants" would pay the "full price".
His Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military had been instructed to intensify strikes on strategic-related targets in Tehran in order to eliminate the threat to Israel and destabilise the "Ayatollah regime".