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Iran temporarily closed its nuclear facilities over «security considerations» in the wake of its massive missile and drone attack on Israel over the weekend, the head of the UN's atomic watchdog said Monday. Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a UN Security Council meeting, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi was asked whether he was concerned about the possibility of an Israeli strike on an Iranian nuclear facility in retaliation for the attack. «We are always concerned about this possibility. What I can tell you is that our inspectors in Iran were informed by the Iranian government that yesterday (Sunday), all the nuclear facilities that we are inspecting every day would remain closed on security considerations,» he said.

Middle East after Israel's military chief said his country would respond to Iran's weekend missile and drone attack amid calls for restraint by allies. Brent futures for June delivery rose 46 cents, or 0.5%, to $90.56 a barrel by 0005 GMT. U.S. crude futures for May delivery rose 43 cents, or 0.5%, to $85.84 a barrel.

Crude oil prices can hit $100 a barrel if Iran-Israel tensions escalate, say experts “Crude oil dipped around $85 after Israel successfully defended itself from Iran's large-scale air attack over the weekend, and the US underlined its desire to prevent a larger Middle East conflict. The Iranian strike did minimal damage in Israel.

Iran attacks on Israel LIVE Updates: US, allies destroyed over 80 drones, missiles from Iran and Yemen, says Pentagon Late Saturday night, Iran launched a barrage of drones and missiles at Israel in response to Israeli attack on Tehran's consulate in Syria on April 1. Newswire Reuters quoted Macron as saying, “We are all worried about the possible escalation of the Middle East conflict.

American aircraft and planes downed dozens of drones and missiles when Iran launched the attack on Saturday, after Tehran repeatedly threatened to hit back in response to an Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus that killed two top officers at the beginning of the month. Senior US officials detailed the role Washington played — both militarily and diplomatically — in countering the attack:

missiles attack before 72 hours of its launch, said Turkish, Jordanian and Iraqi officials said on Sunday. “Iran gave neighboring countries and Israel's ally the United States 72 hours' notice it would launch the strikes," said Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian as quoted by Reuters. However, a senior official in the Biden administration stated that Tehran did not warn about the attack and that it was aiming to cause a significant damage.

Iranian drone and missile attack. In an official statement, Gantz said, “We will build a regional coalition and exact the price from Iran in the fashion and timing that is right for us." Iran on Saturday launched over 300 missiles at Israel in revenge on its embassy in Syria which claimed the lives of its officials including a senior commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' overseas Quds Force. However, Israel claimed that it intercepted ‘nearly all’ missiles launched by Iran.

India faced a tightrope walk as Iran launched a direct attack on Israel for the first time, responding to an Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus earlier this month. If the war escalates and spreads across West Asia, it might impact India's critical interests in the energy sector as well as its diaspora numbering about 10 million in the Gulf region, said people with knowledge of the matter. Any possible evacuation of diaspora in case of a wider conflict would also be a mammoth task, they said.

Mint looks at the implications for the rest of the world, including India. In a departure from its long-term policy, Iran attacked Israel directly late on Saturday taking tensions in the region to a new high. The attack was in response to the bombing of Iran’s Consulate in Damascus on 1 April, ostensibly by Israel, that killed senior Iranian military commanders.

Hamas, which has been locked in a war with Israel in Gaza for more than six months, defended Iran's attack on Israel that began on Saturday. «We in Hamas regard the military operation conducted by the Islamic Republic of Iran a natural right and a deserved response on the crime of targeting the Iranian consulate in Damascus and the assassination of several leaders of the Revolutionary Guards,» said Hamas in a statement. Tehran's attacks late on Saturday, launched after a suspected Israeli airstrike on its embassy compound in Damascus on April 1 that killed officers of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, raised the threat of a wider regional conflict.

Israel, Italy — which holds the rotating presidency of the group of developed nations — said. «The Italian presidency of the G7 has summoned G7 leaders for a video conference early this afternoon», the government said as Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the attack and said she feared «destabilisation of the region».

Iran on Sunday urged Israel not to retaliate militarily to an unprecedented attack overnight, which Tehran presented as a justified response to a strike that destroyed its consulate building in Damascus earlier this month. «The matter can be deemed concluded,» Iran's mission to the United Nations said in a post on X just a few hours after the start of the operation late Saturday. «However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe,» the Iranian mission warned.

Nifty could face knee-jerk reactions on Monday as equity investors are worried about the fallout of Iran's unprecedented full-scale military attack against Israel with more than 300 drones and missiles. On Friday, Sensex had fallen nearly 800 points as FPIs were net sellers to the tune of nearly $1 billion amid worries related to the tweak in the India-Mauritius tax treaty and hotter-than-expected US inflation data. Analysts say the sell-off could extend on Monday as well.

Israel has hailed the success of its defenses in the face of an unprecedented attack by Iran

Middle East closer to a regionwide war. More than 200 drones along with ballistic and cruise missiles were sent towards Israel. The US forces extended support to Israel by shooting down ‘nearly all’ drones and missiles, while pledging to convene G7 meeting to develop a unified response.

Iran's drone strike on Israel, India on April 14 issued a statement pushing for a scaledown in Iran-Israel face-off. India is concerned over the new emerging realities in the region, a statement by the External Affairs ministry said. «seriously concerned at the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran which threatens the peace and security in the region,» the statement read.

Iran vowed to retaliate, and did so about two weeks later, starting a broad aerial attack on Israel on Saturday involving hundreds of drones and missiles aimed at targets inside Israel and the territory it controls. Here's a look at Iran's military and its capabilities.

Iran said it launched dozens of attack drones at Israel on Saturday, in an assault that could trigger a major escalation between the regional archenemies. Iran had vowed to retaliate against Israel for an airstrike on its embassy compound in Damascus, adding to concerns about the potential for further escalation of conflict in the Middle East. Iran has so far played no direct role in the conflict that has spread through the region since the onset of the Gaza war six months ago, while backing groups that have taken part by attacking Israel, U.S. interests, and Red Sea shipping.

Iran launched an unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel, the Israeli army announced late Saturday, in a major escalation of the long-running covert war between the regional foes. Iran's proxies and allies also carried out attacks on Israeli positions as sirens sounded in many places and AFP correspondents heard blasts in the skies above Jerusalem early Sunday. Iran had repeatedly threatened to strike Israel in retaliation for a deadly April 1 air strike on its Damascus consular annexe and Washington had warned repeatedly in recent days that the reprisals were imminent.

Joe Biden cut short a weekend trip to Delaware on Saturday for urgent consultations in Washington on the Middle East, the White House said, as tensions soar amid growing fears of an attack on Israel. Iran has vowed retaliation after a presumed Israeli strike on April 1 leveled an Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus, killing seven members of the elite Revolutionary Guards including two generals.

As the Middle-East braces for potential Iranian strike, commandos from Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard today rappelled down from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel. U.S. President Joe Biden had said on Friday he expected Iran to attack Israel «sooner, rather than later» and warned Tehran not to proceed. Israel did not claim responsibility for the airstrike on April 1. But Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Israel «must be punished and shall be» for an operation he said was equivalent to an attack on Iranian soil.