The Middle East tensions flared up on Friday, following the report of another explosion at the vital uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, the central province of Isfahan, Iran. The explosion occurred a few hours after Israel had unleashed an unprecedented series of airstrikes against the nuclear plants and military installations of Iran, including the capital of Tehran. The explosion was confirmed by Iranian state television, stoking concerns about a full-scale confrontation between the two regional adversaries.
Iran, in turn, promised to retaliate with a “harsh and decisive blow”. An Iranian clergy, when talking to a news agency, said that at the highest echelons of government, there were deliberations on the nature of the counterattack and when it would occur. The official said the retaliation to the Israeli attack would be severe and emphatic, without further commenting on whether it would be instant.
In response to the attacks, Israel declared a national state of emergency and threatened an impending missile and drone revenge attack by Tehran. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz tweeted, “After the preemptive strike of the State of Israel against Iran, the attack of missiles and drones against the State of Israel and its civilian population is inevitable in the near future.
Iran, which also expected further threats, closed its airspace indefinitely, said its Civil Aviation Organisation. The international airport in Tehran cancelled flights, and Iraq decided to do the same by closing its airspace.
The Israeli Defence Forces justified this on intelligence that Iran was close to a breaking point in its nuclear weapons programme. The international community responded quickly in the meantime. In the U.S., President Trump requested an urgent summit with the leading security officers, and meanwhile, Democratic Senator Jack Reed criticised the actions by Israel, terming it a “dangerous escalation.”
Economic waves were also caused as the military built up, with international oil prices leaping up by almost six per cent, as the market feared a possible protracted war in the oil-rich region.
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