Iran threatened to “review” its nuclear doctrine on Thursday if Israel launches an attack on its nuclear sites.
“A review of our nuclear doctrine and politics as well as considerations previously communicated is entirely possible,” Iran’s nuclear security chief Ahmad Haghtalab was quoted saying by Tasnim news.
Iran could launch “powerful missiles to destroy designated targets” in Israel, warning the Israeli government that any hit on its nuclear sites would mean retaliations.
Our hands are on the trigger,” he said. Iran has previously denied seeking nuclear weapons, but its nuclear programme has advanced rapidly since Donald Trump pulled out of the deal in 2018.
It’s estimated that Iran could develop nuclear weapons within days should it decide to.
Israel has long warned that it is ready to use military force to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, but it’s believed a successful attack on its nuclear sites would need assistance from the U.S., as Israel doesn’t have the bunker buster bombs needed to penetrate underground facilities.
US imposes new sanctions on Iran after attack on Israel
In response to its missile and drone attack on Israel, as tensions mount over the possibility of further escalation in the Middle East.
In a statement on Thursday, Biden said the sanctions targeted “leaders and entities connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s Defense Ministry, and the Iranian government’s missile and drone program that enabled” the April 13 attack on Israel.
As I discussed with my fellow G7 [Group of Seven] leaders the morning after the attack, we are committed to acting collectively to increase economic pressure on Iran,” the US president said.
“And our allies and partners have or will issue additional sanctions and measures to restrict Iran’s destabilizing military programs.”
Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel in the early hours on Sunday, in retaliation for the deadly bombing of the Iranian consulate in Syria’s capital, Damascus, earlier this month.
The attacks came amid months of escalating regional tensions linked to Israel’s months-long bombardment of the Gaza Strip. The war in Gaza has killed more than 33,900 Palestinians and plunged the coastal enclave into a humanitarian crisis.
The Biden administration which has faced pressure to curb its support for Israel amid the conflict in Gaza is now facing calls to restrain the Israeli government’s response to Iran’s attack.
Despite an international push for de-escalation, Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have pledged to respond.
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