The recent Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and other military targets do not automatically mean the beginning of a new war, but they have significantly increased tensions in the region, Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže (New Unity) said in an interview with Latvian Television’s program Rīta Panorāma.
“Of course, Iran will not leave Israel’s actions unanswered, but at this point, it’s difficult to predict what form that response will take,” the minister said.
Braže noted that the Israeli attack appeared to be well-prepared and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised the operation will continue, meaning the situation in the Middle East is unlikely to become any easier or less intense.
She added that the United States has denied any involvement in the strikes and is currently focusing on evacuating its citizens from threatened areas. Latvia is also considering what actions to take regarding its diplomatic staff in Israel. Currently, Latvia’s ambassador to Israel is in Latvia, and only three Latvian nationals are registered in Iran — none of whom have been heard from so far, Braže informed.
According to the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, Latvia’s ambassador to Iran resides in Turkey.
“At present, according to information from the [Israeli] embassy, the situation is calm — there is no panic, and people are going about their usual business. Fridays are also different in Israel,” Braže said, adding that a decision will be made during the day on whether to evacuate Latvian embassy personnel from Israel. That would not be particularly easy, she noted, given that Israel’s airspace is currently closed.
As reported, Israel carried out airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear and other military targets overnight Friday, according to Israeli officials.
It is believed that the strikes killed Iran’s Chief of the Armed Forces General Staff, Mohammad Bagheri, and several senior nuclear scientists, a source within Israeli security services told journalists on condition of anonymity.
Iranian state television reported that among the dead were the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami; former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Fereydoon Abbasi; and nuclear scientist Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi.
Explosions were heard in Tehran, and a fire broke out at the Revolutionary Guard headquarters, state TV reported.
Explosions were also reported in Natanz, 225 kilometers south of Tehran, where a uranium enrichment facility is located.
An Israeli military official, quoted by the BBC without being named, said the strikes targeted “Iran’s nuclear program and other military objectives.” The official noted that dozens of strikes were carried out across various regions of Iran, specifically targeting long-range missiles and facilities associated with the nuclear program.
Later, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu issued a statement saying Israel had launched a “targeted military operation to neutralize the threat posed by Iran to Israel’s survival.”
“This operation will continue for as many days as necessary,” Netanyahu said.
“In recent months, Iran has taken unprecedented steps toward weaponizing enriched uranium. If Iran is not stopped, it could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time. It could happen within a year. It could happen within months — less than a year,” Netanyahu’s statement warned.
“These are clear and present threats to Israel’s survival,” he emphasized.
In a separate statement, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the strikes as preventive and warned that retaliatory attacks from Iran — involving missiles and drones — are expected, prompting the declaration of a state of emergency throughout Israel.
Israel, Iran, and neighboring Iraq have all closed their airspace to commercial air traffic.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the United States is not involved in Israel’s strikes on Iran and warned Tehran not to target U.S. interests or personnel.
U.S. President Donald Trump convened a National Security Council meeting on Friday.
Speculation had been growing for some time that Israel was preparing to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities.
It was also reported that on Thursday, Tehran announced plans to build a new uranium enrichment facility — the third of its kind in Iran.
This announcement came after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) adopted a resolution on the same day condemning Iran for non-compliance. The resolution warned that the IAEA is considering referring the issue to the United Nations Security Council.
The agency noted that Iran has for years refused to disclose its past nuclear activities, and IAEA inspectors have found traces of uranium and other suspicious evidence at undeclared sites.
Tehran claims its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but it continues to enrich uranium to high levels, heightening concerns that Iran is approaching the capability to produce nuclear weapons.
Tehran has previously threatened to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Iran resumed its nuclear program in 2019 after the United States, under President Donald Trump, unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers and reinstated economic sanctions.
Talks between Washington and Tehran on a new nuclear deal resumed in April, but following initial optimism, President Trump has since stated he is no longer confident a new agreement can be reached.