Key facts
- US strike hit perimeter of Bushehr nuclear plant, per Iranian official
- Iran launched retaliatory strikes on US military targets in Gulf
- Israel threatened to attack Iran 'with greater force'
- Trump briefed Netanyahu on 'moves in Gulf'
A US strike targeted the perimeter of Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant, an Iranian official confirmed, in one of the most alarming single incidents yet in the rapidly escalating US-Iran military confrontation. The attack on the perimeter of a functioning nuclear facility raised fears of a catastrophic miscalculation, even as Washington stopped short of officially claiming responsibility for all strikes reported in the region.
Explosions were heard across southern Iran in quick succession, with Tehran responding by launching what it described as strikes against US military targets in the Gulf. The cycle of attacks and counter-attacks has intensified sharply following the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the breakdown of a brief ceasefire, with both sides appearing locked into a dangerous escalatory spiral.
Israel separately threatened to attack Iran "with greater force" amid the ongoing US strikes, signalling that the conflict could draw in additional regional actors. US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, briefed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on "moves in the Gulf", with Netanyahu expressing only "occasional disagreements" over Iran strategy while opposing a proposed US F-35 sale to Turkey.
For India, the stakes are high: the Strait of Hormuz is a vital artery for crude oil imports, and any sustained disruption could translate directly into higher fuel prices domestically. New Delhi is closely monitoring the situation, with its diplomatic and energy-security apparatus on heightened alert.