Amidst the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Israel's army claimed that it attacked a nuclear plant in Iran. Iran's government media also reported that Israel has targeted the nuclear plant. This includes heavy-water plant and yellowcake production plant. A heavy water reactor located in central Iran has been targeted in the attacks by America and Israel. The attack came just hours after Israel threatened to escalate its campaign against Tehran. Israel claimed responsibility for the attacks and Iran threatened immediate retaliation.
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said the Shahid Khondab Heavy Water Complex in Arak and the Ardakan Yellowcake Production Plant in Yazd province were targeted, IRNA reported. The organization said there were no casualties in the attacks and there was no risk of pollution. The Arak plant has been closed since the attack by Israel last June.
According to IRNA report, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned Israel that it will respond to the attacks. IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Seyed Majid Mousavi posted on Twitter that employees of companies linked to America and Israel should leave their workplaces. He said that you had tried us before also. The world has once again seen that you yourself are playing with fire and attacking the infrastructure. This time, the tit-for-tat equation will not work, just keep watching. America is insisting on a diplomatic solution.
News of the attacks came as US President Donald Trump claimed that talks to end the war were going well and he had given Tehran more time to open the Strait of Hormuz. However, Iran says that it has not taken part in any kind of talks.
A group of Gulf Arab countries said on Thursday that Iran was charging ships toll to ensure safe passage. Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff said that Washington has handed over a 15-point agenda to Iran for a possible ceasefire by appointing Pakistan as a mediator. It proposes to ban Iran's nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran rejected the US proposal and presented its own five-point proposal, which included reparations and recognition of its sovereignty over the vital strait. Trump has said that if Iran does not open the Strait of Hormuz to all types of traffic by April 6, he will order the destruction of Iran's energy plants.
US stocks fell further on Friday, continuing Wall Street's longest decline in nearly four years, while oil prices rebounded. The price of a barrel of Brent crude rose 2.9% to $104.81, from about $70 before the war began on February 28. Benchmark US crude rose 4.4% to $98.61 a barrel.
Israel's military said it is intercepting Iranian missiles every day. Defense Minister Israel Katz said Iran will have to pay a heavy and rising price for this war crime. Despite the warnings, the firing continued, Katz said. Attacks in Iran will therefore increase and spread to additional targets and areas that assist the regime in producing and operating weapons against Israeli civilians.
Israel's military said its strikes on Friday targeted facilities in the center of Tehran where ballistic missiles and other weapons are made. It also said it targeted missile launchers and storage sites in western Iran. Smoke was seen rising over Beirut following the pre-dawn attack, and Lebanon's health ministry later reported two deaths.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry said it shot down missiles and drones targeting the capital Riyadh. Kuwait said its Shuwaikh port in Kuwait City and Mubarak Al Kabir port in the north, which is under construction under China's Belt and Road Initiative, were damaged in the attacks. It seems that this is the first time that a project associated with China in the Gulf Arab countries has been attacked during the war. China has continued purchasing crude oil from Iran.
