Iran-Israel conflict risks constraining US diplomacy, prompting nuclear concealment
Trump now faces a difficult balancing act between supporting Israeli strikes and salvaging fragile nuclear negotiations with Iran, which he emphasized on Friday remain a priority.
WASHINGTON — The rapid escalation between Israel and Iran — following Israeli airstrikes inside Iran on Thursday and Tehran's retaliation on Friday — could strain US diplomatic efforts to reach a deal with Tehran and may prompt the Iranian establishment to further conceal its nuclear program.
In what has been the most significant direct Israeli military action against the Islamic Republic in over three decades, Israel launched a strike Thursday with over 200 fighter jets targeting more than 100 sites, including near Natanz — home to Iran’s largest uranium enrichment facility — and cities such as Tabriz, Shiraz, Qom and Isfahan. The strikes reportedly killed at least 10 senior Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists, along with at least 96 civilians.
In response, Tehran has fired over 100 ballistic missiles at Israel, with multiple impacts reported in Tel Aviv and at least 15 injuries, according to Israeli media.
The exchange comes just 24 hours after US President Donald Trump publicly warned that an Israeli attack could “blow” ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at limiting Iran’s nuclear program.
