Iran launches missiles and drones at Israel in the wake of US strikes on its nuclear targets
Iran fired a salvo of missiles and drones on Monday at Israel while also warning the United States that its military has been given a 'free hand' to attack American targets in the wake of the Trump administration's massive strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
Israel said its defense systems were operating to intercept the threat, apparently targeting north and central areas, and told people to head to shelters. Iran described the attack a new wave of its Operation 'True Promise 3,' saying it was targeting the Israeli cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv, according to Iranian state television.
There were no immediate reports of damage.
The attack came the day after the United States inserted itself into Israel's war by attacking Iranian nuclear sites, prompting fears of a wider regional conflict.
Iran said the U.S. had crossed 'a very big red line' with its risky gambit to strike the three sites with missiles and 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs.
On Monday, Iranian Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, the chief of joint staff of armed forces, warned Washington its strikes had given Iranian forces a 'free hand ' to "act against U.S. interests and its army.'
Mousavi described the American attack as violating Iran's sovereignty and being tantamount to invading the country, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
In the wake of the American attacks on Iran, calls came from across the globe for de-escalation and the return to diplomacy to try and resolve the conflict.
On Monday, the European Union's top diplomat said the bloc remained 'very much focused on the diplomatic solution.'
'The concerns of retaliation and this war escalating are huge,' Kaja Kallas said at the start of a foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels where Iran has jumped to the top of the agenda.
'Especially closing of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran is something that would be extremely dangerous and not good for anybody,' Kallas said, referring to a maritime route crucial for oil transport.
After Sunday's attacks, Iranian officials repeated their longtime threats of possibly closing the key shipping lane.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was meeting on Monday in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin, one of Iran's key allies.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
32 minutes ago
- Reuters
Putin says Russia is ramping up production of Oreshnik missile
MOSCOW, June 23 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Russia is stepping up production of its Oreshnik intermediate-range hypersonic missile, which it launched for the first time against Ukraine last November. "Serial production of the latest Oreshnik medium-range missile system is under way," Putin told a graduating class of military cadets in televised comments. The system has "proven itself very well in combat conditions," he added. Russia first used the Oreshnik (Hazel tree) against Ukraine on November 21, when Putin said it had fired the missile at a defence enterprise in the city of Dnipro. He said he had authorised the strike in direct response to Ukraine's first use of U.S.-made ballistic missiles and British-made cruise missiles to hit Russian territory, after Western countries granted their permission. Putin subsequently threatened further strikes, including against "decision-making centres" in Kyiv, if Ukraine kept attacking Russia with long-range Western weapons. Intermediate missiles have a range of up to 5,500 km (3,415 miles), which would enable them to strike anywhere in Europe or the western United States from Russia. Putin has boasted that the Oreshnik is impossible to intercept and has destructive power comparable to a nuclear weapon, although some Western experts have cast doubt on those claims. In December, a U.S. official said the weapon was not seen as a game-changer on the battlefield, calling it experimental in nature and saying Russia likely possessed only a handful. Putin said late last year that Russia could also deploy Oreshniks on the territory of its ally Belarus in the second half of 2025. Belarus shares borders with NATO members Poland, Latvia and Lithuania.
The Independent
32 minutes ago
- The Independent
The ‘inappropriate' post over Iran that led the LA County Sheriff's Department to apologize
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) apologized for an "offensive and inappropriate" social media post regarding recent U.S. strikes in Iran. The initial post, published hours after U.S. bombings, referenced "victims and families impacted" despite no reported fatalities. The LASD faced significant public backlash, with social media users criticizing the statement as a "slap in the face" to the U.S. military. The department first edited the post, then issued a formal apology, stating the original message was "unacceptable, made in error, and does not reflect the views of Sheriff Robert G. Luna or the Department." The LASD is conducting an internal review into the post's creation and publication, and is reviewing its social media oversight protocols.
Daily Mail
35 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Shelter in place ordered for Americans in Qatar amid growing fears of Iran retaliation
The US Embassy in Qatar has ordered Americans in the nation to 'shelter in place' as fears grow of an Iranian retaliation to the US strikes on Saturday night. The Embassy warned Americans to seek shelter 'out of an abundance of caution.' It did not say how long the shelter in place order is expected to last. There are up to 15,000 American residents in Qatar, and the United States also has 19 military facilities in the Middle East nation. Qatar has served as an intermediary between the United States and Iran in the past and was coordinating negotiations over Iran's nuclear resources earlier this month before Israel ended the talks by attacking Iran on June 13. This is a developing story, check back for updates.
