By Matt Peterson
Israeli forces launched a series of strikes Friday morning on Iran's nuclear facilities, an attack that will likely lead to swift retaliation and reset the dynamic of an already volatile Middle East.
The United States, which had been in negotiations with Iran that seemed to break down in recent weeks, issued a statement denying responsibility: "We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.
Oil prices spiked immediately, with West Texas Intermediate spiking 8.3% and Brent crude up 8%. Stock futures sank. S&P 500 futures were down 1.8%, while Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were down 700 points, or 1.6%.
Asian markets also fell with the Nikkei down 1.5% or 570 points.
The extent of any damage wasn't immediately clear. But in a recorded message, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the campaign could last "as many days as it takes" to remove the threat of Iran's nuclear program.
"We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment program. We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear weaponization program," he said. "We targeted Iran's main enrichment facility in Natanz. We targeted Iran's leading nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb. We also struck at the heart of Iran's ballistic missile program."
On Thursday, President Trump said that he was against Israel launching an attack, saying that it could ruin negotiations with Iran. "I think it would blow it," he said. He then equivocated, adding that an attack by Israel "might help [negotiations], actually, but it could also blow it."
The White House did not immediately return a request for comment, and it remained unclear how intensely Trump pressed Netanyahu not to attack Iran.
This content was created by Barron's, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. Barron's is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 12, 2025 21:36 ET (01:36 GMT)
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