By Doon Mozaic News Desk | June 23, 2025
The international community is reeling after the United States carried out a dramatic military operation targeting three major nuclear sites in Iran. The coordinated assault — codenamed Operation Midnight Hammer — included strikes on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, key installations in Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. The attacks have triggered a diplomatic and security crisis across the Middle East, drawing in international condemnation and fears of wider regional conflict.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) responded swiftly. Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, has called for an emergency meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors to address what he termed the “urgent situation in Iran.” His message on X underscores the growing alarm over the safety of nuclear materials and potential radiation risks following the strikes.
According to the Pentagon, seven B-2 stealth bombers flew from a U.S. base in Missouri and traveled for nearly 18 hours under strict radio silence, supported by aerial refueling. As they approached Iranian airspace, a U.S. Navy submarine launched over two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles. Decoy fighter jets were deployed ahead of the bombers to scan for Iranian defenses, allowing the bombers to complete their mission without detection.
Regional Fallout and Market Reactions
The strikes have sent shockwaves through the Middle East. The Houthis in Yemen, long aligned with Tehran, condemned the strikes as a “war declaration” on the Iranian people. Meanwhile, Oman, which previously played a mediator’s role in nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran, issued a forceful condemnation through its official news agency, calling the U.S. action “escalatory” and “dangerously provocative.”
Bahrain has issued an advisory urging residents to stay off major roads unless absolutely necessary, to enable authorities to manage the emergency response. Despite the tensions, markets in parts of the region showed unexpected buoyancy. Bloomberg reported that Israel’s TA-35 Index rose 1.2%, driven by gains in financial institutions such as Bank Hapoalim. Similarly, Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index advanced 1%, while Qatar’s and Kuwait’s benchmarks also registered modest gains. Oman’s MSX30 was the outlier, dipping 0.6%, reflecting its diplomatic concerns.
Global Humanitarian Alarm
The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mirjana Spoljaric, issued a stern warning about the escalation. In a statement released Sunday, she cautioned that the widening conflict in the Middle East threatens to engulf not just the region, but the world. “The world cannot absorb limitless war,” she said. “Upholding international humanitarian law is not a choice — it is an obligation. Civilians and medical personnel must be spared from hostilities.”
According to the Iranian Health Ministry, over 430 civilians have already been killed and more than 3,000 injured in the conflict, mostly due to prior Israeli strikes. The U.S. administration has defended its latest operation as necessary to neutralize Iran’s nuclear capability, but critics argue it will only inflame regional tensions and make diplomacy more difficult.
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