Overview

• On June 22 the U.S. Air Force struck Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan nuclear sites in Iran, marking its first direct strikes in the Israel-Iran confrontation.
• Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, launched on June 13, has targeted multiple nuclear and military installations in Iran in an effort to halt its atomic program.
• Iran’s Revolutionary Guard responded with missile and drone attacks on Israeli territory, heightening concerns over regional security and potential spillover.
• Israel continues its long-standing policy of nuclear ambiguity, refusing to confirm its estimated stockpile of 80–200 warheads or submit to NPT inspections.
• Critics warn that Western scrutiny of Iran’s nuclear activities, contrasted with tacit acceptance of Israel’s arsenal, undermines the credibility of the non-proliferation regime.