Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 13 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has termed Israel's strike on Iran 'unjustified' and expressed regret over Western powers remaining silent, unlike their stance against Russia's attack on Ukraine. He added that the escalation would impact India.

'As far as I know, Iran did not give any reason to Israel for this strike. Israel waged war on a country by calling it a preemptive attack... Israel did the same thing that Russia did in Ukraine,' Omar Abdullah told reporters.

He warned of the situation becoming escalatory.

'Of course, the situation will escalate. It has an immediate impact on us. It will impact our fuel prices, stock market, and flights that have to fly to the West. But more than that, it will impact the sentiments of the people,' the Chief Minister said.

'It will be a matter of extreme regret if the world's great powers remain silent on this... The big powers of the world, like America and Europe, raise their voices against Russia, but in the matter of Israel, they remain silent. If it is wrong for a country to attack another country, as in the case of Russia, then here too, it is not justified for Israel to attack Iran,' he added.

Early this morning, Israel launched what it called a 'pre-emptive operation' on Iran targeting the latter's nuclear program.

In a video statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a 'very successful opening strike' carried out by Israeli forces. He said Israel, through its large-scale military operation that he named 'Rising Lion', targeted 'Iran's main enrichment facility' and 'Iran's leading nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb.'

'We also struck at the heart of Iran's ballistic missile program,' Netanyahu said.

The military operation, Netanyahu said, is aimed at dismantling what he described as an existential threat posed by Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

'Moments ago, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival,' Netanyahu said in the video statement that was posted on X, adding that the mission would continue 'for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.'

The Israeli PM accused Iran of pursuing a nuclear weapons programme despite global warnings, noting that Tehran has stockpiles of enriched uranium capable of producing multiple nuclear bombs. 'In recent years, Iran has produced enough highly enriched uranium for nine atom bombs. Nine,' he said, warning that Iran could develop a nuclear weapon within months.

Netanyahu likened the situation to the prelude to World War II and referenced the Holocaust, stating, 'Eighty years ago, the Jewish people were the victims of a holocaust perpetrated by the Nazi regime. Today, the Jewish state refuses to be a victim of a nuclear holocaust perpetrated by the Iranian regime.' (ANI)