Middle East latest: UN nuclear watchdog 'concerned' Israel could target Iranian nuclear facilities in revenge attack (2024)

Concerns about Israel's possible response to Iran and the debate over whether to label Iran's IRGC a terrorist organisation are two of the main topics in today's newspaper front pages.

You can see how the papers covered those topics - and others - by clicking on the link below:

South Korea's president says there should be a pre-emptive response to risk factors arising from tensions in the Middle East.

He was speaking about his country's energy dependence on the region - when things get tense in the Middle East, there is a direct impact on oil prices, which hits South Korea's economy and supply chain.

Yoon Suk Yeol said during a cabinet meeting that 60% of the oil imported by South Korea comes through the Strait of Hormuz.

The strait runs between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean. It is one of the world's most strategically important choke points.

"The large increase in transport costs and oil price increases will directly lead to increases in prices for us," he said.

"There should be a pre-emptive response to various risk factors that can arise."

He did not say what this response could be.

Iran's foreign minister has told his Chinese counterpart that Iran is willing to exercise restraint and has no intention of escalating the situation in the Middle East, according to Xinhua.

The Chinese state news outlet reported that Wang Li and Hossein Amir-Abdollahian spoke late on Monday about the regional tensions.

Mr Amir-Abdollahian said the UN Security Council did not respond strongly enough to Israel's attack on Iran's embassy building in Damascus and that Iran had the right to defend itself.

Mr Wang said China strongly condemned the attack on the Iranian diplomatic post, regarding it as a serious violation of international law.

"It is believed that Iran can handle the situation well and spare the region further turmoil while safeguarding its own sovereignty and dignity," he said in comments reported by Xinhua.

Iraq's prime minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani has joined calls for restraint in the Middle East.

He was speaking during a visit to the US for talks with various leaders, including Joe Biden, on Monday.

"In the spirit of partnership our views may be divergentabout what’s happening in the region," Mr Sudani said through atranslator as he sat next to Mr Biden in the Oval Office.

"But we agree certainly about the international law, theinternational humanitarian law and the responsibility to protectand the law of war, and we reject any repression against thecivilians, especially women and children, and we encourage thecommitment about respecting international norms and diplomaticmissions."

Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Tamim, who co-chaired ameeting of the US-Iraq Higher Coordinating Committee with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said Iraq was concerned aboutit* region being "dragged into a wider war that will threateninternational security and safety".

Iraq's own situation was also discussed - the US has welcomed Mr Sudani's economic reform plans but the influence of Iran-backed groups still raises concerns.

The US has 2,500 troops in Iraq helping local forces to prevent a return of Islamic State, which seized large parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014 before being defeated.

The United Nations nuclear watchdog chief says he is worried Israel could target Iranian nuclear facilities.

Israel's military chief said on Monday that his country will respond to last weekend's missile and drone attack by Iran, which was launched in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on Iran's embassy compound in Syria.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said Iran closed its nuclear facilities on Sunday over "security considerations".

They reopened on Monday but IAEA inspectors were kept away "until we see that the situation is completely calm".

"We are going to resume tomorrow," Mr Grossi said on Monday.

"This has not had an impact on our inspection activity."

When asked about the possibility of an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, he said: "We are always concerned about this possibility."

He urged "extreme restraint".

The IAEA regularly inspects Iran's main nuclear facilities - Iran says its nuclear programme is peaceful but Western countries say Tehran is trying to make nuclear bombs.

Italy, which holds therotating presidency of the G7, is open to new sanctions against individuals engagedagainst Israel following the Iranian drone and missile attack,its foreign minister has said.

"If we need to have more sanctions for people clearlyengaged against Israel, supporting for example terrorism,supporting Hamas, it is possible to do it," Antonio Tajani told reporters.

"But we need to bevery serious and to work all together."

G7 leaders have unanimously condemned Iran's attack on Israel and urged "restraint" on all sides to avoid the situation in the region escalating any further.

They spoke as part of an extraordinary meeting convened by Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the wake of the unprecedented attacks.

Exiled Crown Prince of Iran Reza Pahlavi has said the Iranian regime is "becoming weaker and weaker and [more] desperate by the minute".

He told Sky's World With Yalda Hakim programme that "repression at home and aggression abroad is part and parcel of the [regime's] basic strategy".

Mr Pahlavi said Iran spread propaganda after the attack on Israel to satisfy its base "but to the detriment of a nation that are the first victims of this regime".

He argued that billions of dollars worth of weapons were "wasted" while Iranians are queuing for food, and that the regime "doesn't spend a dime on the needs of our society".

"Iranians do not at all stand for what this regime stands for," he said.

Mr Pahlavi said the "ultimate solution" is for the regime to be ended and for the Iranian people to win freedom.

He calls on world leaders and decision makers to discuss the issue "seriously", saying they should invest in the "alternative to this regime".

Two Palestinians have been killed today in the occupied West Bank province of Nablus, a local mayor has said.

"About 50 settlers, a large number of them armed, attacked the residents of Khirbet al Tawil village east of Aqraba in the province of Nablus," said mayor Salah Bani Jaber.

"They opened fire on the youth and this led to the death of two of the youth and the injury of others."

The IDF earlier said its forces had killed a 17-year-old during a raid in Nablus.

A spokesperson for Israel's Border Police said undercover border police troops, together with the Israeli army, launched an operation in the city of Nablus to arrest a suspect.

During the operation, riots broke out in which one person threw an explosive device at the troops and was shot dead by the undercover unit, the spokesperson said.

By Dominic Waghorn, international affairs editor

Take the win, or strike back?

The question exercising Israeli minds in the wake of Iran's missile onslaught and the focus of intense debate here. The outcome will decide the immediate fate of this region. A return to shadow war, or all out escalation into something much more serious.

Joe Biden and other allies says Israel should bank a number of wins: Israel's military success repelling Iran's ballistic onslaught and its assassination of several high level Iranians in the Damascus consulate on 1 April blamed on Israel that precipitated Iran's retaliation.

And in the Israeli media there are others making a bigger point. Ever since 7 October the steady process of rapprochement between Israel and former Arab allies has been in doubt. Saturday night showed it's alive and well.

We don't know the details but a number of Arab states helped Israel either shoot down Iran's missiles or let in Israeli jets to do so.

There are passionate arguments being made here that that coalition effort is a template for the future. Its proponents argue Israel should build on the unprecedented cooperation from former enemies not jeopardise it.

But the hawks reject that.

"When a bully tries to hit you 350 times and only succeeds seven times, you've NOT won," tweeted former prime minister Naftali Bennett in a long screed calling for immediate action against Iran.

Many here can't accept that Israel is safer because it was helped on one night to avert a well telegraphed threat that took hours to reach Israel. They say Iran must be deterred from ever trying to do the same again.

"How DO you deter?" Mr Bennett asks. "By exacting a deeply painful price."

So while Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer and Joe Biden all say restraint is in Israel's best interests, many here are not convinced. Israelis are wary of outsourcing their security to others. The history of the Jewish people has shown tragically where that has failed in the past.

So while the world fears any Israeli retaliation that could plunge the region into a deepening and widening conflict, some in Israel say its long term security requires immediate action that could risk doing just that.

Reports suggest the hawks are prevailing in government. It is not a question of if Israel will retaliate, more when and what.

The hope would be for a goldilocks option, not so hot it risks all out regional war, but also not so cold it fails to land a punch deterring Iran from doing the same again.

Not easy in this volatile region.

Iranians have gathered in Tehran to celebrate their country's attack on Israel last weekend.

Iran launched more than 330 drones and missiles at its rival in retaliation for an attack on its consulate in Syria.