Fear and hope as Israel and Iran exchange barrages of missile and drone strikes
'Everything happened so fast. I didn't expect that. We heard some fighter jets, we saw some air defense systems shooting objects which were probably drones,' he said. 'We are all terrified, and we don't know what to predict, but we don't want this war.'
As the first explosions were going off, people started sending panicked messages to their relatives abroad.
Azam Jangravi, an Iranian human rights advocate who lives in Canada, showed NBC News the texts she received from her 17-year-old cousin, Donya, in Tehran.
'It's so frightening,' the girl wrote. 'While the call to prayer is being broadcasted, you keep hearing these booms, one after another.'
Like Jangravi, thousands of Iranians abroad have been anxiously trying to reach their relatives back home, but with very little luck. Communications are patchy and increasingly difficult.
According to the site NetBlocks, which monitors internet access worldwide, on Thursday there was a near-total internet blackout in the country as Iranian authorities have shut down the network.
For Jangravi, Iranians are being caught between two warring sides.
'Two governments are fighting on our land,' she said. 'In the first days of the war, people were happy because they thought they'd kill Khamenei, but right now they don't have any hope,' she said referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
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South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
Irish leaders call for ‘immediate de-escalation' between Iran and Israel
Irish premier Micheal Martin said Iran should make clear it will not pursue further enrichment of uranium. Irish deputy premier Simon Harris, who is also the minister for foreign affairs, said work was ongoing at EU level to engage with citizens in Israel and Iran who may wish to leave. Iran and Israel have been striking each other's territory for a week, deepening the crisis in the Middle East. Israel said it launched an attack to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Iran has insisted its nuclear programme is peaceful, but it is the only non-nuclear-armed state to enrich uranium up to 60%, far in excess of the levels required for power stations and a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. After a missile attack on a hospital in southern Israel, defence minister Israel Katz said Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 'absolutely should not continue to exist'. US President Donald Trump has also reportedly been considering involving the US by targeting a uranium enrichment facility in Iran. Asked what role Ireland can play in the crisis, Mr Martin said Ireland and the EU can urge 'restraint and de-escalation'. 'The world needs stability and it needs peace – and dialogue is the way to resolve the nuclear issue in terms of Iran,' the Taoiseach told RTE Radio. 'Iran has been a malign actor in the Middle East for quite a long time in terms of supporting Hezbollah, Hamas the Houthis – it's a theocratic autocratic state. 'But there was dialogue on the way between Iran and the United States on that issue, I think that should restart. 'I think Iran should make it very clear that it will not pursue further enrichment of uranium, or indeed progress to developing nuclear bomb capacity.' Meanwhile, Mr Harris said there was a 'massive effort' at EU level to support citizens and diplomats in Iran and Israel. He said the EU was engaging with Germany, France and the UK to persuade the Iranians back into talks. 'It is almost impossible to overstate the potential danger of this, if there ends up being involvement of other countries, or indeed spill-over into other countries,' he said on Thursday. 'Ireland, whilst far away in one way, does obviously have a number of citizens in both countries, have a significant number of troops in Lebanon, is very concerned about the situation in Palestine, so there's quite a lot of moving parts in this.' He told RTE Radio: 'Nobody wants to see Iran with nuclear capabilities. 'Everybody is aware of the dangers that Iran poses, but at the same time, the way you resolve these issues is through the talks that were scheduled to take place and which were obviously ultimately postponed as a result of Israeli (incursion).' He said Irish embassies had contacted citizens in Iran and Israel on Wednesday who would like to leave when the opportunity arises. There are around 29 Irish citizens and 12 dependants in Iran, and 200 Irish citizens in Israel. 'There's the massive effort at a European level to make sure we try to provide support to our own citizens and our own diplomats in what is becoming a really dangerous environment and a really difficult environment in which to operate from and function from as well,' he told RTE Radio. He said that as the airspace is closed in Iran, evacuation would mean going over the land border, and for those in Israel it means travelling to Jordan or Egypt. 'There are a number of options available to us. We're working very closely with a number of member states, and we're also having to now, in a very serious way, also look at how we best support our diplomats, because the situation is deteriorating quite significantly in terms of being able to effectively operate in the country, and also obviously safety and security issues,' he said.
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Iran launched DELIBERATE missile blitz on Israeli hospital but patients were moved at the last minute, president reveals
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BABIES were among hundreds of hospital patients who cheated death when an Iranian missile blitzed an Israeli hospital, the nation's president told The Sun. Isaac Herzog revealed that the chiefs decided to move critical care units into a basement bunker just hours before the terrorist regime 'deliberately targeted' the hospital. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 14 Smoke rises from Soroka Medical Centre in Beersheba, Israel Credit: Reuters 14 The hospital was damaged following a missile strike from Iran Credit: Reuters 14 Firefighters work in a building of the Soroka hospital complex after it was hit by a missile fired from Iran in Beersheba, Israel Credit: AP 14 A view of the damage is seen from the inside Credit: Getty 14 Sun Foreign Editor Nick Parker speaks to Israeli President Herzog at the Presidential Palace in Jerusalem Credit: Doug Seeburg And in an exclusive interview with The Sun, the embattled Israeli leader branded his fanatic enemy 'disgusting and horrendous' as the Middle East conflict raged on. Appalled Mr Herzog, 64, vented his outrage at the presidential palace in Jerusalem after visiting shocked patients and staff at Soroka Hospital in the southern city of Beersheba. A huge explosion early today sent a mushroom cloud over the complex and set the roof on fire as terrified patients cowered in makeshift basement wards. They had been moved there just hours earlier by hospital chiefs as Iran's Islamist regime fired a barrage of 30 ballistic missiles from more than 1,000 miles away. Tensions rise Middle East REACTOR BLAST Iran's nuke reactor destroyed as shock satellite pic shows gaping hole Mr Herzog told The Sun: 'I was there this morning following the destruction by an Iranian missile - straight on the hospital where people were in treatment. 'The director general of the hospital decided only last night to remove all the units above ground to underground. 'They would have been killed for sure, because you see the building was totally demolished.' Mr Herzog said Soroka tends to two million patients every year, treating Israelis, Palestinians and sick and injured people from nearby Gaza. He paid tribute to the resilience of medics yesterday while revealing his shock at the scale of the damage. Mr Herzog said: 'Glass was strewn all over the place - windows and doors - total devastation, but I went underground and the hospital functions beautifully. Trump 'has APPROVED Iran attack plans & is ready to give orders' as Israel 'strikes reactor' & Tehran hits hospital 'Professor Mahmoud Abu Shakra, a great Israeli Muslim, was leading the emergency care unit underground. 'That's Israel for you. We have immense resilience. And we will recover, we will rebuild, and we will move on. 'It shows how cruel the Iranians are - the emergency care units full of babies were there, and this missile was aimed directly at the hospital. 'It was deliberate - we know it because we have intelligence. 'We know that they are carrying out crimes against humanity and war crimes all the time. 'They decided to harass us. They want to drive us crazy, so they send those missiles, but they get us wrong because we are a very strong nation, and we know how exposed they are. 'They are making a huge mistake.' 14 Herzog vented his outrage at the presidential palace in Jerusalem after visiting shocked patients and staff at Soroka Hospital Credit: Doug Seeburg 14 A view of the damage is seen at Soroka Medical Centre after it was hit by a missile launched from Iran during retaliatory strikes in Beersheba Credit: Getty 14 A view of the Soroka Medical Centre after the strike Credit: AP 14 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands amid debris outside the Soroka Hospital Credit: AFP 14 Mr Herzog rejected comparisons to Israeli attacks on hospitals in Gaza and insisted medical sites in the besieged enclave were targeted because terror bases were hidden beneath them. He said: 'All the aid that went into Gaza from Western countries, from us, by the way, too - all that money went to build a terror infrastructure of the worst kind. 'That was deployed on October 7th - and it's all in tunnels out there, which are full of ammunition and our hostages.' Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz raged that evil Iranian kingpin Ayatollah Ali Khamenei must die after the missile struck the hospital. He said: "Khamenei openly declares that he wants Israel destroyed – he personally gives the order to fire on hospitals. 'He considers the destruction of the state of Israel to be a goal, 'Such a man can no longer be allowed to exist.' 14 Smoke billows from Soroka Hospital in Beersheba in southern Israel Credit: AFP 14 BEERSHEBA, ISRAEL – JUNE 19: A view of the destruction after an Iranian missile hits Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, Israel on June 19, 2025. (Photo by Tsafrir Abayov/Anadolu via Getty Images) Credit: Getty 14 Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz raged that evil Iranian kingpin Ayatollah Ali Khamenei must die Credit: AFP Katz's threat was echoed by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who said Israel was ready to "remove" the nuclear threat from Iran. Asked during a visit to bombed Soroka Hospital if Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei was a potential target, Netanyahu said: "No one is immune.' "By the end of this operation, there will be no nuclear threat to Israel, nor will there be a ballistic missile threat.' It comes as Iran warned the US will be sparking an "all-out war" in the Middle East if they join Israel in dropping bombs on Iranian nuclear sites. The US president is yet to say if he will directly launch an attack, but is reportedly considering striking Iran's key underground nuclear site in the coming days. Trump has become heavily involved in the conflict over the last 72 hours. When asked about US bombing Iran, he said: "I may do it, I may not do it." It is believed that the US may choose to back Israeli strikes on Iran's Fordow nuclear development area. Will Trump strike Iran? By Sayan Bose, Foreign News Reporter DONALD Trump is all but poised to join Israel's campaign of bombing Iran as they both seek to obliterate Tehran's nuclear program. The White House said on Thursday that Trump will decide on whether the US will get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict in the next two weeks. It comes as Tel Aviv has been carrying out air strikes targeting various nuclear and military facilities in Tehran and other parts of Iran. The goal, as they say, is to thwart the Iranian regime's efforts to produce nuclear weapons. The Trump administration previously said it had no plans to join the conflict. However, winds in Washington began blowing the other way after Trump cut short his G7 visit in Canada and said he needed to focus on the Middle East. And has repeatedly insisted it was not to pursue peace talks with Iran "in any way, shape or form" - a stark shift in his previous policy of striking up a nuclear deal. Don also went on to share a slew of posts on Truth Social suggesting he may be considering strikes against Iran. He wrote: "Our patience is wearing thin," before calling out Tehran for an unconditional surrender. Trump also called for an emergency situation room meeting yesterday with his top Washington aides, though details of those meetings have not yet been revealed. But Trump's statements, coupled with America's military movements, suggest the US forces may soon strike Iran. As Trump rushed back to meet his National Security Council, he vowed he was chasing something "better than a ceasefire", which would force Iran into a "complete give up". He refused to specify the endgame, but ominously warned: "You're going to find out over the next few days." A spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry said that a US intervention in the Middle East would be "a recipe for all-out war in the region. This would likely be done by a fearsome 15-ton mega bomb known as a Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bomb that can penetrate deep inside the ground before blowing up. Speaking to reporters from the Oval Office Trump did say the US is the only nation capable of blitzing the key nuke site. But he added: "That doesn't mean I'm going to do it - at all." Trump also gave a two-word warning to Iran's Supreme Leader after he revealed Tehran was trying to run back to the negotiating table since the conflict broke out. 14 When a White House reporter asked Trump about Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's declaration that he will "never surrender", Trump simply responded: "Good luck." Trump even stepped up his rhetoric towards Khamenei as he said the US knows where he is hiding but will not kill him 'for now'. Khamenei responded to the constant threats by saying: "The battle begins." He warned that the US will face hell if it enters the war and drops a single bomb on Tehran. 'This nation will never surrender,' Khamenei said in a speech read on state television. 'America should know that any military intervention will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage.'
Leader Live
an hour ago
- Leader Live
Israel threatens Iran's top leader after missiles damage hospital and wound 200
Meanwhile, Israel struck a heavy water reactor that is part of Iran's nuclear programme. At least 240 people were wounded by the Iranian missiles, four of them seriously, according to Israel's health ministry. The vast majority were lightly wounded, including more than 70 people from the Soroka Medical Centre in the southern city of Beersheba, where smoke rose as emergency teams evacuated patients. In the aftermath of the strikes, Israeli defence minister Israel Katz blamed Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and said the military 'has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist'. From Washington, the White House announced that US President Donald Trump will decide whether to join Israel's campaign against Iran's military and nuclear programme within two weeks, saying that Mr Trump still sees a window for diplomacy to address Israeli and US demands on Iran's nuclear programme. 'Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks,' Karoline Leavitt, the press secretary, told reporters, quoting Mr Trump. US officials said this week that Mr Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Mr Khamenei. Mr Trump later said there were no plans to kill him 'at least not for now'. Israel carried out strikes on Iran's Arak heavy water reactor, in its latest attack on the country's sprawling nuclear programme, on the seventh day of a conflict that began with a surprise wave of Israeli airstrikes targeting military sites, senior officers and nuclear scientists. A Washington-based Iranian human rights group said at least 639 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 1,300 wounded. In retaliation, Iran has fired some 400 missiles and hundreds of drones, killing at least 24 people in Israel and wounding hundreds. Meanwhile, an Israeli military official said that Iran used a missile with multiple warheads in an attack on Thursday, posing a new challenge to its defences. There was no immediate independent analysis that could be made of the claim, but Iran has hinted in the past that it was pursuing such weaponry. Instead of having to track one warhead, missiles with multiple warheads can pose a more difficult challenge for air defence systems, such as Israel's Iron Dome. Two doctors told The Associated Press that the missile struck almost immediately after air raid sirens went off, causing a loud explosion that could be heard from a safe room. The hospital said the main impact was on an old surgery building that had been evacuated in recent days. After the strike, the medical facility was closed to all patients except for life-threatening cases, it said. Soroka has more than 1,000 beds and provides services to around one million residents in the south of Israel. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the strike on the hospital and vowed a response, saying: 'We will exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran.' Iran has fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, although most have been shot down by Israel's multi-tiered air defences. An Israeli military official said on Thursday that airstrikes have destroyed around two-thirds of Iran's ballistic missile launchers. The official said Israel estimates Iran still has more than 100 operational launchers, but that its losses have contributed to the steady decline in attacks since the start of the conflict. Israel estimates that Iran had around 2,000 ballistic missiles at the start of the conflict, and says it has fired around 450 missiles and 1,000 drones towards Israel since hostilities began. Israel lifted some restrictions on daily life on Wednesday, suggesting the missile threat from Iran was easing. Haim Bublil, a local police commander, told reporters that several people were lightly wounded in the strike. Many hospitals in Israel activated emergency plans in the past week, converting underground parking to hospital floors and moving patients underground, especially those who are on ventilators or are difficult to move quickly. Israel also boasts a fortified, subterranean blood bank that kicked into action after Hamas's October 7 2023 attack ignited the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. Israel's military said its fighter jets targeted the Arak facility and its reactor core seal to halt it from being used to produce plutonium. 'The strike targeted the component intended for plutonium production, in order to prevent the reactor from being restored and used for nuclear weapons development,' the military said. Israel separately claimed to have struck another site around Natanz it described as being related to Iran's nuclear programme. Iranian state TV said there was 'no radiation danger whatsoever' from the attack on the Arak site. An Iranian state television reporter, speaking live in the nearby town of Khondab, said the facility had been evacuated and there was no damage to civilian areas around the reactor. Israel had warned earlier on Thursday morning that it would attack the facility and urged the public to flee the area. Iran has long maintained its programme is for peaceful purposes. But it also enriches uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Iran is the only non-nuclear-weapon state to enrich at that level. Israel is the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East but does not acknowledge having such weapons. The strikes came a day after Iran's supreme leader rejected US calls for surrender and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause 'irreparable damage to them'. Already, Israel's campaign has targeted Iran's enrichment site at Natanz, centrifuge workshops around Tehran and a nuclear site in Isfahan. Its strikes have also killed top generals and nuclear scientists. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said he would travel to Geneva for meetings with his European counterparts on Friday, indicating that a new diplomatic initiative might be taking shape. Iran's official IRNA news agency said the meeting would include foreign ministers from the UK, France and Germany and the European Union's top diplomat. Mr Trump has said he wants something 'much bigger' than a ceasefire and has not ruled out the US joining Israel's campaign. Iran has warned of dire consequences if the US deepens its involvement, without elaborating.
