Israeli army says ‘checking’ results of US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites

TEL AVIV: The Israeli military said Sunday it was checking the results of a US bombing raid on the deeply buried Iranian nuclear site in Fordo, while continuing its own offensive against Tehran.

Asked whether Iran had removed enriched uranium from Fordo or if it had been buried under the rubble in the overnight US strikes, military spokesman Effie Defrin told reporters it was “too soon” to know.

“We are constantly checking the situation. It is too soon to determine. I suppose we will know later on,” he said during a televised briefing.

Israel carried out a fresh wave of attacks on Iran on Sunday morning, including the targeting of missile launchers, the military said.

“We are continuing and are determined to achieve the objectives of the operation: eliminating the existential threat to the state of Israel, damaging Iran’s nuclear programme and destroying its missile system,” Defrin added.

Read Relevant: Iran Red Crescent says no deaths in US strikes on nuclear sites

Israel launched an unprecedented large-scale attack on Iran on June 13, with the stated aim of preventing the country from acquiring a nuclear weapon — a goal the Islamic Republic has consistently denied pursuing.

Its military has struck hundreds of military sites or facilities linked to Iran’s nuclear programme, assassinated leaders of its armed forces and killed around ten nuclear scientists.

Iranian-launched missiles and drones have killed 25 people in Israel, according to official figures.

In Iran, the Israeli strikes killed more than 400 people and wounded 3,056, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry on Saturday.

Contrastively, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has confirmed that there were no big damages following the alleged US strikes on the Iranian nuclear sites today. However, he added that ‘only the entrance and exit areas of the sites were damaged’ of which the state’s sources told Al Jazeera earlier today could be repaired.