Strikes on Iran Follow Reports of Diplomatic Progress
The overnight military strikes on Iran mark a stunning reversal from just 24 hours earlier, when a BBC News report cited an official mediator saying U.S.-Iran diplomatic talks had concluded with “significant progress.” The sudden escalation to “major combat operations,” as described by President Trump, suggests a complete breakdown of those negotiations.
The now-scuttled diplomatic track was mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, with the most recent round of indirect talks concluding in Geneva, Switzerland. A key sticking point was the scope of the negotiations; the U.S. insisted on including Iran's ballistic missile program and its support for regional militias, while Iran would only discuss its nuclear program and the lifting of sanctions. Despite the positive reports, U.S. negotiators had demanded that Tehran transfer all of its enriched uranium to the United States and completely dismantle its key nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The Iranian delegation flatly rejected these demands, according to state media and other sources. The joint U.S.-Israeli military action, dubbed "Operation Epic Fury," targets Iran's missile and naval capabilities, as well as what President Trump called its "terrorist proxies." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the goal of the joint operation is to "remove the existential threat posed by the terrorist regime in Iran." In his video address, President Trump urged the Iranian public to "seize control of your destiny" and "take over your government," adding this was "probably your only chance for generations." This call for regime change was echoed by Netanyahu, who stated the strikes would "create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their fate into their own hands." Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps immediately retaliated, launching waves of missiles and drones at Israel. Retaliatory strikes also targeted U.S. military installations in several Gulf countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar. International reaction has been swift, with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemning the "military escalation." Russia and China also condemned the attacks, while European powers including Britain, France, and Germany called for a return to negotiations. Omani Foreign Minister Albusaidi, the talks
