Israel-Iran War: Will fresh attack on Fordow nuclear site trigger wider regional conflict?

Israel attacked Iran’s Fordow nuclear site on Monday, making this a second attack on the latter’s secret nuke facility a day after the United States struck it with its most powerful bomber on Sunday. Sunday’s attack escalated the already brewing conflict between the two countries in the Middle East as it targeted the Fordow nuclear facility, the most crucial and powerful nuke facility in Iran.  

Israel’s ambitious attack on Iran’s Fordow facility 

The Iranian media confirmed that another attack on its Fordow site has taken place. Its Tasnim news agency said, “The aggressor attacked the Fordow nuclear site again.”  Israel has long been eyeing this facility, considered to be impenetrable and powerful enough to only be destroyed by bunker busters. Reportedly, Israel asked the Donald Trump administration to use its B-2 stealth bombers whose striking capability is such that it can penetrate the most high-tech and sophisticated air defense systems. However, Israel’s fresh attack on Fordow nuclear site was made possible after US’ Sunday attack which emboldened it to launch “one of the most intense attacks” on Iran's military infrastructure. 

Iran’s fury 

While US’ strikes empowered Israel, they allowed Iran’s aggression unleashed as Iran fired a salvo of missiles and drones at Israel and warned the United States that its military now has a “free hand” to attack American targets in the wake of the Trump administration’s massive strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) used its third-generation Kheibar Shekan, which means "fortress breaker", ballistic missile, in a direct strike on Israeli territory hours after US’ Sunday strikes. In Vienna, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said he expected there to be heavy damage at the Fordo facility already following the Sunday’s US airstrike there with sophisticated bunker-buster bombs. “Given the explosive payload utilized ... very significant damage ... is expected to have occurred,” said Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. 

US’ attack with its most powerful bunker bomber even after Iran’s constant warnings against it not getting involved in the Middle East conflict can potentially unleash a wider regional conflict. Iran said the US had crossed “a very big red line” with its risky gambit to strike the three sites with missiles and 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs.