US and Israel reportedly strike Iran's Natanz nuclear facility

By Ahmet Taş | Wise News Press

TEHRAN, IRAN — Iranian state media announced that the country's most prominent and critical nuclear site, the Natanz facility, was targeted by joint airstrikes conducted by the United States and Israel early Saturday morning.

The attack on the highly fortified complex, which houses both above-ground and underground uranium enrichment units, marks a significant escalation in the ongoing three-week conflict. According to reports from the Tasnim news agency, via DW Türkçe, the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization confirmed the strikes but stated that no radioactive leaks have been detected.

IAEA monitoring and international condemnation

The international community swiftly responded to the reported strikes on the nuclear site. Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), announced on the X platform that the agency would thoroughly investigate Iran's claims regarding the absence of leaks. He reiterated his call for "extreme military restraint against the risk of any nuclear accident."

Meanwhile, Russia issued a strong condemnation of the military action. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova took to Telegram to describe the strikes on Natanz as "irresponsible."

"The international community must immediately evaluate these irresponsible actions impartially and uncompromisingly. These attacks pose a real danger for a catastrophe across the entire Middle East and clearly aim to undermine peace, stability, and security in the region," Zakharova stated.

Conflicting messages from US and Israeli officials

As the war progresses, contradictory statements regarding its future trajectory have emerged from the allied nations. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz signaled a major escalation, stating on Saturday that strikes against the Iranian regime and the country's infrastructure would increase significantly in the coming days. "We will not stop until all war objectives are achieved," Katz affirmed.

Conversely, US President Donald Trump had indicated on Friday that he was considering scaling back operations against Iran. "We are very close to achieving our goals," the President noted. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt added that the Pentagon anticipates the mission will last between four to six weeks, asserting that the US military has done an "extraordinary job" and that the government in Tehran is growing weaker by the day.

Sanctions eased amid global energy crisis

The war has severely disrupted global energy markets, primarily due to the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz—a narrow passage controlled by Iran's Revolutionary Guards through which approximately one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments pass. The blockade, combined with Iranian retaliatory strikes on Gulf energy facilities, has caused oil and gas prices to soar.

In a surprising move to alleviate the economic pressure, the US government announced on Friday that it would temporarily permit the sale and shipment of Iranian oil under specific restrictions. According to the US Treasury Department, this exemption applies to Iranian oil loaded onto ships prior to March 20 and will remain valid until April 19. This follows a similar easing of sanctions against Russia last week, which allowed the sale of Russian crude oil and petroleum products loaded before March 12 until April 11.

www.wisenewspress.com