Expert: Israel's latest strike on Iran's nuclear facilities is unprecedented

In a televised interview with CMG, Qin Tian, deputy director of the Institute of Middle East Studies of China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said Israel's latest strikes on Iran were "unprecedented in both scope and intensity," marking a significant escalation from previous limited acts of sabotage against Iran's nuclear infrastructure.

While Israel has previously carried out sporadic sabotage on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, this latest assault was far more extensive, Qin said. 

Noting that Iran's nuclear sites are spreading across multiple provinces, Qin said the latest round of assaults targeted dozens of Iran's nuclear sites spanning several provinces, significantly expanding the geographical scope of the attacks.

These sites are not only central to Iran's national security, but also carry symbolic weight as a matter of national pride. The attacks have directly touched on Iran's core interests, he added. 

In the context, Qin said he believes Iran's retaliation is inevitable – and it is likely to be forceful. Drawing on the experience of past missile exchanges between the two countries, Qin suggested Iran may once again resort to large-scale missile and drone attacks.

He also cautioned that Iran could expand its retaliation to include U.S. interests in the region. "That could mean strikes on American military bases in the Middle East or even attacks on U.S.-linked oil tankers in the Persian Gulf."

Beyond the battlefield, Qin said Iran might pull out of its current nuclear talks with Washington – or even withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, as it has previously threatened.