Israel stunned Iran last week with an intelligence and military operation years in the making that struck high-level targets with precision.

When Israel launched its series of strikes against Iran last week, it also issued a number of dire warnings about the country’s nuclear program, suggesting Iran was fast approaching a point of no return in its quest to obtain nuclear weapons and that the strikes were necessary to preempt that outcome.

The dramatic escalation in tensions between Israel and Iran caused a spike in the price of crude and raised fears among oil traders about disruption to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most vital waterways.

As Israel pounds Iran with airstrikes targeting military facilities and its nuclear sites, officials in Tehran have proposed a variety of steps the Islamic Republic could take outside of launching retaliatory missile barrages.

Iran has arrested dozens of people on suspicion of spying as fears grow in the Islamic Republic over the extent of its infiltration by Israel’s Mossad intelligence service.

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Muslim-majority states in the Middle East and beyond have jointly condemned Israel's military strikes against Iran as the conflict has escalated and urged Israel to refrain from targeting nuclear facilities. Newsweek contacted the Israeli prime minister's office for comment.