Israel attacks Fordo nuclear site, Iranian state media says, as Trump floats ‘regime change’ – live updates

Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent, reporting from Jerusalem

As the world waits for the expected response from Iran to the American air strikes on its nuclear facilities, Israelis are wondering what their own country might be planning to do with its campaign there.

Israel has been extremely successful, severely damaging Iran’s nuclear and military capabilities by striking key facilities and killing top military officials and scientists.

The assessment is that Iran’s nuclear programme, seen here as an existential threat, has been delayed by years. Some are wondering whether it is time for Israel to stop the attacks.

Senior defence officials, quoted by Channel 13 News, said “the goal is to end this event within days”.

This would obviously bring respite to Iranians, many of whom have been under constant bombardment for more than a week, and alleviate the pressure on Israelis, many exhausted after almost two years of war – the conflict against Hamas in Gaza continues without a clear exit plan.

Iranian retaliatory missiles have penetrated the air defences, causing death and destruction. Iran has vowed to stop if Israel stops its attacks first.

This would give way for diplomacy to work and some kind of deal to emerge, although it is difficult for now to see how one could be possible.

Iran has repeated that it will not abandon the enrichment of uranium, a US demand, saying it is its right.

But not everyone in Israel agrees it is time to halt the attacks. Yaakov Amidror, a former Israeli national security adviser, told me Israel had not “finished achieving its goals yet”.

Apart from damaging Iran’s nuclear programme, Israeli leaders have mentioned the removal of the threat of the country’s ballistic missiles as another objective.

“We were very clear at the beginning that we have two goals,” he said, “and we’re still doing both”.

When I asked him if the war should continue, he answered: “No question.”