Israel Seeks to End Conflict with Iran amid Escalating Nuclear Tensions
According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on June 23, Israeli officials stated that the country continues to attack Iran's military infrastructure. However, Israel's current strategic goal is to end the conflict with Tehran as soon as possible. Meanwhile, regional tensions have become more serious after the US conducted an airstrike targeting Iran's Fordow uranium enrichment facility - a crucial location in the country's nuclear program.
Mr. Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said this attack is expected to cause "very serious damage" to Iran's nuclear capabilities.
One of the targets hit by Israel was identified as a prison holding political prisoners and those who disagree with the government. Iran has remained silent about an official response to the US attack, providing few clear signals about its next steps.
Iran's conservative religious leaders are now facing a difficult choice: if they choose to retaliate forcefully against the US, they risk pushing the country into a larger-scale war with two militarily superior opponents, the US and Israel. Conversely, if they return to nuclear negotiations, Iran may have to accept significant concessions regarding uranium enrichment activities and ballistic missile arsenals - two factors considered core to the country's national security strategy.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in his first statement since the US attack, did not directly mention Washington on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Instead, he focused on criticizing Israel, asserting that "Tel Aviv has made a serious mistake and is now paying the price for it."
