Xinhua Headlines: Israeli attacks on Iran raises risk of regional conflict

* Israel's military asserted the operation was necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb. However, Iran has repeatedly denied seeking such arms while Israel offers no immediate proof of an imminent Iranian strike.

* Oil prices surged, and global stock markets fell on fears of a broader conflict. Investors reacted sharply to news of the Israeli operation and Iran's warnings of further retaliation.

* U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox News he had prior knowledge of the Israeli strikes, reiterating that Tehran "cannot have a nuclear bomb."

* Several Middle Eastern countries issued strong condemnations. Egypt described the Israeli operation as a "dangerous and blatant regional escalation." Saudi Arabia called the strikes a "clear violation of international law."

TEHRAN/JERUSALEM, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Israel on Friday launched a large-scale "preemptive, precise, combined" strike on Iranian military and nuclear sites, prompting retaliatory attacks from Tehran.

Analysts warn that the attacks could dramatically deteriorate the already volatile situation in the Middle East and ignite a wider regional war.

LARGE-SCALE RAIDS

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the assault aimed to cripple Iran's nuclear infrastructure, ballistic missile production and military capabilities.

"This is a clear and present danger to Israel's very survival," Netanyahu said in a televised address, vowing the campaign would continue "for as many days as it takes."

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported that approximately 200 aircraft participated in the operation, striking nearly 100 sites across Iran, including targets in Tehran, Natanz, Khondab and Khorramabad. Iranian state media reported multiple casualties, including women and children, in a Tehran residential area.

Israel's military asserted the operation was necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb. However, Iran has repeatedly denied seeking such arms while Israel offers no immediate proof of an imminent Iranian strike.

U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox News he had prior knowledge of the Israeli strikes, reiterating that Tehran "cannot have a nuclear bomb." Washington emphasized it did not participate in the Israeli action and warned Iran against targeting U.S. personnel or assets.

The strikes occurred just two days before scheduled nuclear talks between Iran and the United States in Muscat, Oman. Oman denounced the Israeli strike as escalatory and urged the parties to return to diplomatic solutions.

CASUALTIES AND RETALIATION

Iranian state media reported the deaths of several high-ranking military officials, including Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC); Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of the armed forces; and Gholam Ali Rashid, commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters. Two senior Iranian nuclear scientists, Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi and Fereydoun Abbasi, were also reportedly killed.

Iraqi political analyst Hassan Amir said the broader goal of Israel's precision strike is to erode Iran's political and military influence in the Middle East and neutralize what Israel views as a growing nuclear threat.

The move followed earlier Israeli operations targeting the Iran-led "Axis of Resistance," a regional coalition that involves militant groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, committed to countering Israel, Amir said.

Amir noted that as the sixth round of U.S.-Iran indirect talks approaches, Israel's attack underscores its "strategic resolve" to comprehensively curb Iran through military means and its "strategic bottom line" of preventing Iran from "possessing nuclear weapons."

He added that the United States' prior knowledge of the attack reflects its unified stance with Israel in exerting maximum pressure on Iran through diplomatic, economic and even military means.

Such a "reckless attempt" could unilaterally escalate regional tensions, drag neighboring countries into a "war quagmire," and push U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations into a deadlock, Amir said. The rising tension will drive up global oil prices, threaten shipping safety in key Middle East waterways, and put additional strain on the global supply chain.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vowed retaliation, warning that Israel has "prepared a bitter fate for itself."

Iran responded with a large-scale drone and missile strike on Israel. IDF spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said over 100 drones had been launched and the military was working to intercept them. Israeli media later reported that all unmanned aerial vehicles were "successfully intercepted."

Jordan's military confirmed it intercepted several drones and missiles that entered its airspace, reiterating its policy of not allowing its territory to be used in regional hostilities. Similar interceptions by Jordan occurred during Iran's retaliatory attacks on Israel in October 2024.

Tensions have been building up for days, with reports of a potential Israeli attack and strong Iranian warnings against attacks on its nuclear sites.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Thursday declared Tehran non-compliant with non-proliferation obligations for the first time since 2005. This could trigger the "snapback" mechanism of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), potentially leading to the reinstatement of UN sanctions.

The JCPOA largely collapsed when Washington withdrew in 2018 and reimposed sanctions, prompting Iran to roll back its nuclear commitments.

Some analysts argue that the IAEA censure and Israeli threats are part of a coordinated effort to pressure Iran.

GLOBAL REACTION

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the military escalation and sounded an alarm over attacks on nuclear sites amid ongoing diplomatic efforts. "The region cannot afford a further descent into conflict," a UN spokesperson said.

China said Friday it was "deeply concerned" over Israeli strikes on Iran, condemning "violations" of the country's sovereignty and offering to help ease tensions.

"The Chinese side … is deeply worried about the severe consequences that such actions might bring," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lin Jian said.

"The Chinese side calls on relevant parties to take actions that promote regional peace and stability and to avoid further escalation of tensions," Lin added.

Russia condemned the Israeli strikes and called for restraint.

"Russia is concerned and condemns the sharp escalation of tensions," Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state media. Meanwhile, the Russian embassy in Tel Aviv urged its citizens in Israel to leave the country and "strongly recommended" against traveling there until the "situation normalizes."

Oil prices surged, and global stock markets fell on fears of a broader conflict. Investors reacted sharply to news of the Israeli operation and Iran's warnings of further retaliation.

Several Middle Eastern countries issued strong condemnations. Egypt described the Israeli operation as a "dangerous and blatant regional escalation." Saudi Arabia called the strikes a "clear violation of international law." Qatar slammed the attack as a "flagrant violation" of Iran's sovereignty and warned against undermining diplomatic solutions. Türkiye urged Israel to immediately halt "aggressive actions."

Denouncing the Israeli attacks, the Arab League called for decisive and immediate intervention by the international community to stop such attacks inflaming the region.

Observers say the scope and targets of Israel's operation point to a strategic shift.

"Israel is applying a decapitation strategy," said Steven Wright, associate professor of international relations at Qatar's Hamad Bin Khalifa University. "They're going after the leadership core of Iran and the IRGC."

Wright cautioned that Iran could retaliate by targeting U.S. interests in Iraq or the Gulf, or by threatening maritime shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. "A strike on the Bushehr reactor could contaminate desalinated water supplies in the Gulf -- an outcome with potentially catastrophic humanitarian consequences," he said.

Assaf Meydani, dean of the School of Government and Society at the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, said Israel is attempting to abandon ambiguous or indirect reactions in favor of decisive actions, "even at the risk of further escalation."

However, Khaled Hammad, a Qatar-based expert in Middle Eastern affairs, said Iran is likely to pursue a more calculated response. "Tehran may activate its regional allies to target Israeli interests indirectly," Hammad told Xinhua, noting that a direct confrontation could draw broader international involvement.

In an editorial, Iran's Tehran Times warned Israel has "once again provoked a regional power" and Iran's response will be "not rash, but decisive."

The Jerusalem Post reported that despite recent Israeli operations, Iran and its regional allies retain the capacity to strike back at Israeli and allied targets -- an enduring threat that underscores the potential for a broader regional conflict.

(Video reporters: Sha Dati, Chen Xiao; video editors: Luo Hui, Li Qin, Wei Yin)■