US Reiterates Defense of Israel Against Potential Attack by the Islamic Republic

A spokesperson for the US State Department said on Friday, November 25, that the United States will defend Israel against the Islamic Republic. In relation to the possibility of Iran's response to Israel's attack on November 5, he stated, "We will not speculate on actions that the Iranian regime may take. But as we have said, Iran should not respond to Israel's retaliatory actions or escalate the situation further." According to this American diplomat, "If [the Islamic Republic] chooses to do so, we will support Israel in its self-defense." He continued, "The message from the United States to Iran is clear: If it decides to carry out further attacks against Israel or American personnel in the region, there will be consequences." These remarks from the US State Department spokesperson come after Axios reported on Friday, November 25, citing several American and Israeli officials, that during the November 5 attack, an ultra-secret research site for the Islamic Republic's nuclear weapons in Parchin was destroyed. According to American and Israeli officials, the attack on this site significantly damaged the Iranian government's efforts to resume research on nuclear weapons. A former Israeli official familiar with the attack told Axios that this strike destroyed complex equipment used to design plastic explosives surrounding uranium in a nuclear device necessary for detonation. The Islamic Republic has always claimed to have a peaceful nuclear program, and Iran's representation at the United Nations refrained from commenting on Axios's report. Talqan 2, located in the military complex of Parchin, 20 kilometers southeast of Tehran, was one of the targets of Israel's attack on the morning of November 5. Talqan 2 was part of the Islamic Republic's nuclear weapons program known as "Amad" until the program was halted in 2003. The Institute for Science and International Security has stated that it was used to test the explosives needed to activate the nuclear device. Satellite images released after the November 5 attack indicate its complete destruction. Axios reported, citing American and Israeli officials, that recent activities at Talqan 2 are part of the Iranian government's efforts to conduct research that could be used for the development of nuclear weapons or civilian purposes. An American official stated that recent activities at Talqan 2 may have laid the groundwork for nuclear weapon production. He described these activities as ultra-secret, adding that only a small portion of Iranian officials were aware of them, while most of the Iranian government officials had no knowledge of them. Israeli and US intelligence agencies became aware of the Islamic Republic's research activities in Parchin earlier this year. These activities included computer modeling, metallurgy, and explosive material research that could be used for nuclear weapons. Axios had previously reported that the White House warned Iranian officials about their suspicious research activities in a direct and private conversation in June of this year. Axios reported that the Americans hoped their warning would lead Iranian officials to halt their nuclear activities, but Tehran continued its activities. An American official stated that there had been "widespread concern" about the Islamic Republic's activities at Talqan 2 months before the November 5 attack by Israel. The Islamic Republic's nuclear research even prompted the Director of National Intelligence to change his assessment of Iran's nuclear program. The Wall Street Journal reported on August 10 of this year that the National Intelligence report to Congress, unlike previous years, did not contain the sentence that the Islamic Republic is not currently conducting key activities necessary for the development of nuclear weapons capable of being tested. When Israel was preparing to attack Islamic Republic positions in response to the Iranian missile attack on October 10, Talqan 2 was chosen as a target. According to officials, Joe Biden asked Benjamin Netanyahu not to attack the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities to prevent a widespread war between Iran and Israel. However, since Talqan 2 was not part of the declared nuclear program of the Islamic Republic, the Iranian government cannot acknowledge the significance of the attack on this site without admitting to violating the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. An American official told Axios that the attack on Talqan 2 carried the message that the Israelis have significant intelligence oversight over even ultra-secret matters known to only a few Iranian officials. On the morning of November 5, Israel conducted a "precise and targeted" operation involving at least 100 warplanes, targeting over 20 military positions mainly related to the Islamic Republic's air defense in four provinces: Tehran, Semnan, Ilam, and Khuzestan. These retaliatory attacks by Israel followed the Islamic Republic's missile attack on October 10, during which over 180 ballistic missiles were fired at Israel. Israel chose to attack Islamic Republic military positions amid widespread speculation about the possibility of attacking nuclear facilities, energy infrastructure, and even political and military figures including Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic. David Albright, a former UN weapons inspector, posted on X and cited commercial satellite images stating that Israel targeted a building in Parchin called "Talqan 2," which was used for testing activities during the dissolved nuclear weapons development program known as "Amad." He referenced documents stolen by Israel in 2018, stating that the Islamic Republic had kept important experimental equipment at "Talqan 2." Albright added that even if the Islamic Republic had removed key materials from this building before the Israeli airstrike, the inherent value of the building for future nuclear weapons-related activities should not be overlooked. Albright continued to say that satellite images from Parchin show that Israel damaged three other buildings located 320 meters from "Talqan 2." In two of these three buildings, solid fuel for ballistic missiles was being mixed.