NYT: Iran proxies preparing strikes on US bases Intelligence Shows

U.S. officials had earlier reported indications that Iran-aligned militias were preparing to target American military positions in Iraq, and potentially in Syria.

The latest American strikes mark a significant escalation and are expected to usher in a more volatile phase of the regional conflict, Caliber.Az reports citing The New York Times.

There are concerns in Washington and beyond that the operation could harden Iran’s stance on its nuclear programme.

While it remains unclear whether Iran still possesses the capability to produce a nuclear weapon, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said he believed Iran had relocated its enriched uranium stockpile ahead of the attacks. U.S. officials acknowledged they were unsure of its current whereabouts.

In the early hours of the previous day, at approximately 2:10 a.m. local time in Iran, U.S. forces launched coordinated strikes using warplanes and submarines. Pentagon officials described the damage to the underground Fordow facility as “severe.”

The airstrikes have further diminished hopes for a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing confrontation between Israel and Iran. President Trump’s decision to order the operation signals a shift in his administration’s position amid internal Republican divisions between isolationist and interventionist camps.

Across the Middle East, the response was mixed. U.S. allies and adversaries issued statements calling for calm and restraint, while several Gulf countries expressed alarm over the potential for retaliatory attacks.

In Israel, the American action was welcomed, with officials portraying it as a strategic win for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

On June 23 morning, just hours after President Trump hinted at a possible regime change in Tehran, Israel launched fresh strikes on Iranian territory. Its military also claimed to have intercepted missile fire originating from Iran.

Meanwhile, inside Iran, the mood is tense and uncertain. “None of us expected that, within six or seven days, we’d reach this point,” said one Tehran resident. Public reaction has ranged from disbelief to anxiety over what many fear could become a full-scale war across the region.

By Aghakazim Guliyev