Iran Rules Out Israeli Strike on its Nuclear Facilities

A billboard displays a phrase in Persian saying: "Iran ignites the fire in the darkness of history" in Vali Asr Square in central Tehran (EPA).
A billboard displays a phrase in Persian saying: "Iran ignites the fire in the darkness of history" in Vali Asr Square in central Tehran (EPA).
TT

Iran Rules Out Israeli Strike on its Nuclear Facilities

A billboard displays a phrase in Persian saying: "Iran ignites the fire in the darkness of history" in Vali Asr Square in central Tehran (EPA).
A billboard displays a phrase in Persian saying: "Iran ignites the fire in the darkness of history" in Vali Asr Square in central Tehran (EPA).

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi ruled out the possibility of Israel launching strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in response to the second direct missile attack by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Israeli territory.

“We doubt that Israel would dare to attack our nuclear facilities,” Iranian state agencies quoted Araghchi as saying. He reiterated that his country is fully prepared to retaliate against any potential Israeli aggression with a stronger response than before.

This comes as Iran's Atomic Energy Organization announced on Wednesday that it has secured its nuclear sites against any possible Israeli attack. Iran launched over 180 ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday, claiming it was in retaliation for Israeli attacks that killed leaders from Hezbollah and Hamas in Beirut and Tehran.

Araghchi's comments came amidst speculation about Tel Aviv’s potential response to the missile strike, which targeted three military bases and a Mossad headquarters in Israel. Western analysts suggested that Israel might attack strategic sites in Iran, including nuclear facilities and petrochemical plants, to deal a significant blow to the country’s already struggling economy, exacerbated by US sanctions.

In this context, former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called for a decisive strike to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities, asserting that Israel now has the justification and tools to cripple the regime. Meanwhile, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid stated that Iran should “pay a heavy price” for the attack, emphasizing that Israel must send a strong message to Tehran and its allies across the region.

For his part, US President Joe Biden indicated that he would not support an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear program. Speaking on Wednesday, Biden responded with a firm "No" when asked if he would back such a move following Iran's missile barrage.

Among the potential Iranian targets in an Israeli strike is the Natanz facility, which has experienced multiple sabotage attempts since 2003. Another target could be the Fordow facility, where Iran enriches uranium to 60%. Military installations, including IRGC missile bases near Tehran, are also likely to be on Israel’s radar.

Iranian officials, meanwhile, have warned that if Israel attacks, they are ready to retaliate by targeting Israeli nuclear facilities. The commander of the IRGC unit responsible for protecting Iran’s nuclear sites stated that Iran's missile forces are prepared to strike back against Israel in the event of an attack.

The commander further emphasized that Israel’s nuclear facilities are under Iran's intelligence surveillance, and that Iran possesses the necessary information to accurately target these sites. He added that Iran's missile systems are primed and ready to launch retaliatory strikes if needed.

Historically, Israel has conducted airstrikes on nuclear facilities in the Middle East, such as the destruction of Iraq's Tammuz reactor in 1981 and a Syrian reactor in 2007.



Large Earthquake Hits Battered Vanuatu

A vehicle is trapped beneath a collapsed building following a strong earthquake in Port Vila, Vanuatu, December 17, 2024, in this screengrab taken from a social media video. Jeremy Ellison/via Reuters
A vehicle is trapped beneath a collapsed building following a strong earthquake in Port Vila, Vanuatu, December 17, 2024, in this screengrab taken from a social media video. Jeremy Ellison/via Reuters
TT

Large Earthquake Hits Battered Vanuatu

A vehicle is trapped beneath a collapsed building following a strong earthquake in Port Vila, Vanuatu, December 17, 2024, in this screengrab taken from a social media video. Jeremy Ellison/via Reuters
A vehicle is trapped beneath a collapsed building following a strong earthquake in Port Vila, Vanuatu, December 17, 2024, in this screengrab taken from a social media video. Jeremy Ellison/via Reuters

A magnitude-6.1 earthquake rattled buildings on Vanuatu's main island early Sunday but did not appear to have caused major damage, five days after a more powerful quake wreaked havoc and killed 12 people.

The nation's most populous island, Efate, is still reeling from the deadly 7.3-magnitude temblor on Tuesday, which toppled concrete buildings and set off landslides in and around the capital of Port Vila.

The latest quake occurred at a depth of 40 kilometers (25 miles) and was located some 30 kilometers west of the capital, which has been shaken by a string of aftershocks.

No tsunami alerts were triggered when the temblor struck at 2:30 am Sunday (1530 GMT Saturday).

Port Vila businessman Michael Thompson told AFP the quake woke his family.

"It gave a better bit of a shake and the windows rattled a little bit, it would have caused houses to rattle," he said.

"But you know, no movement other than a few inches either way, really. Whereas the main quake, you would have had like a meter and a half movement of the property very, very rapidly and suddenly.

"I'd describe this one as one of the bigger aftershocks, and we've had a fair few of them now."

Thompson said there was no sign of further damage in his immediate vicinity.

The death toll remained at 12, according to government figures relayed late Saturday by the United Nations' humanitarian affairs office.

It said 210 injuries had been registered while 1,698 people have been temporarily displaced, citing Vanuatu disaster management officials.

Mobile networks remained knocked out, making outside contact with Vanuatu difficult and complicating aid efforts.

In addition to disrupting communications, the first quake damaged water supplies and halted operations at the capital's main shipping port.

The South Pacific nation declared a seven-day state of emergency and a night curfew following the first quake.

It announced Saturday it would lift a suspension on commercial flights in an effort to restart its vital tourism industry.

The first were scheduled to arrive on Sunday.

Rescuers Friday said they had expanded their search for trapped survivors to "numerous places of collapse" beyond the capital.

- Still searching -

Australia and New Zealand this week dispatched more than 100 personnel, along with rescue gear, dogs and aid supplies, to help hunt for trapped survivors and make emergency repairs.

There were "several major collapse sites where buildings are fully pancaked", Australia's rescue team leader Douglas May said in a video update on Friday.

"We're now starting to spread out to see whether there's further people trapped and further damage. And we've found numerous places of collapse east and west out of the city."

Thompson said power had been restored to his home on Saturday but said many others were still waiting.

"We're hearing a lot of the major businesses are still down, supermarkets are trying to open back up," he said.

"So this is very different to what's happened with disasters here in the past.

"Cyclones destroy everything outside, whereas earthquakes really destroy a lot of infrastructure inside the buildings."

Vanuatu, an archipelago of some 320,000 inhabitants, sits in the Pacific's quake-prone Ring of Fire.

Tourism accounts for about a third of the country's economy, according to the Australia-Pacific Islands Business Council.