Israeli strikes hit ‘half’ of Iran’s nuclear program: Netanyahu | Israel attacks Lebanon News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country’s airstrikes on Iran last month hit “part” of Tehran’s nuclear program and crippled its defense and missile production capabilities.

“There is a part of their nuclear program that was hit in this attack,” Netanyahu said in a speech to Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, on Monday without giving details about the element that was hit.

“The program itself and its potential to work here have not been blocked,” he added.

On October 26, Israeli warplanes launched three waves of strikes against Iranian military assets, within weeks Iran had fired an estimated 200 missiles at Israel, saying the attack was in response to Israel’s assassination of a Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in the southern suburbs of Beirut and. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

At the time of the Israeli attack, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said the strikes “should not be exaggerated or underestimated”. The President of the United States, Joe Biden, said before these strikes happened that he would not support an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which would open the possibility of further escalation in the region.

In addition to the claim of an attack on Iran’s nuclear program, Netanyahu also said in a speech on Monday – interrupted by family members of Israeli hostages held in Gaza – that three S-300 anti-missile batteries supplied by Russia had been suspended. near Tehran had been hit.

Netanyahu said that Russia provided four self-defense batteries to Iran and one was destroyed during an exchange of direct attacks between Iran and Israel in April.

Iran has not commented on Israel’s claims.

Last week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, that his government is willing to address concerns about its nuclear program before the inauguration of US President Donald Trump in January.

Grossi said that achieving “results” in the nuclear talks with Iran is important to avoid a new conflict in the region already aggravated by Israel’s wars in Gaza and Lebanon, stressing that the installation of nuclear weapons in Iran “must not be attacked”.

Increasing sanctions

Netanyahu delivered his speech as the European Union and the United Kingdom on Monday extended their sanctions against Iran for allegedly supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine.

In a measure issued by Tehran, the EU said it would ban the export, transfer, supply or sale from the EU to Iran of materials used to make missiles and drones.

It also banned any transactions through ports “owned, operated or controlled” by sanctioned individuals and organizations or used to supply Russia with drones, missiles, related technology and components.

“This measure includes access to port facilities and locks, such as Amirabad and Anzali, as well as the provision of any services to ships,” the EU said in a statement, referring to two Iranian ports in the Caspian Sea.

While the bloc’s foreign ministers met in Brussels, it also took measures to ban the Iranian state-owned shipping company IRISL, its director Mohammad Reza Khiabani and three Russian shipping companies suspected of transporting weapons in the Caspian Sea.

Brussels had already imposed sanctions on key Iranian officials and organizations, including airlines, accused of aiding Russia’s war effort.

Acting at the same time, Britain also announced new sanctions against Iran, freezing the assets of IRISL and the national airline Iran Air for allegedly transporting missiles and military equipment to Russia for use in Ukraine.

Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office also said the Russian cargo ship Port Olya-3, which is authorized to carry missiles from Iran to Russia, will not be allowed to enter any UK port.

“Iran’s efforts to undermine global security are dangerous and unacceptable,” Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in a statement before announcing the sanctions at the United Nations Security Council. “Along with our international partners, we have been clear that any transfer of ballistic missiles from Iran to Russia will face a significant response.”

The decision follows the previous round of sanctions against Iran and Russia announced by the UK in September and by Germany and France.

Ahead of the new sanctions announcement, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday the EU was using “missile pretext” to target its shipping lanes.

“There is no legal, logical or moral basis for such conduct. If anything, it will only force what it wants to stop,” Araghchi wrote in X.

Iran’s economy has been struggling under the weight of US sanctions imposed after Washington pulled out of the landmark nuclear deal between Iran and world powers in 2018.

On Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran would respond later.