Iran launches fresh missile attack on Israel as conflict enters fifth day
TEHRAN/TEL AVIV — The fifth day of hostilities between Israel and Iran began with Iran launching a fresh wave of strikes, as US President Donald Trump denied reports that he left the G7 summit to pursue a ceasefire deal.
Trump has called for the immediate evacuation of all of Tehran, issuing the warning shortly after Israeli forces told residents in parts of north-eastern Tehran to leave ahead of planned strikes on what they described as 'military infrastructure.'
The announcements came on the fifth day of hostilities between Iran and Israel, as both sides continue trading strikes in a conflict that shows no sign of slowing.
Overnight, explosions and heavy air defense fire were reported in Tehran, as Iranian state media confirmed Israeli airstrikes hit the capital, including a direct hit on the country's state-run television station during a live broadcast.
On Monday, Iran launched a pre-dawn wave of missiles at Israel, killing at least eight people, prompting further Israeli retaliation throughout the day.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Monday that the strikes have set Iran's nuclear program back 'years' and said he is in touch daily with Trump, who left the G7 summit in Canada early amidst reports he was heading to Washington to work on a ceasefire deal.
Israeli airstrikes caused "direct impacts" on Iran's Natanz nuclear facility, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The nuclear watchdog said it now believes the strikes hit the facility's underground centrifuge halls, though it did not provide further details.
It's the first time the agency has confirmed damage to Natanz's underground sections — the core of Iran's uranium enrichment program.
Earlier reports indicated that Israel had destroyed the facility's above-ground enrichment hall and electrical systems that powered key infrastructure.
Israel claimed responsibility for striking Iran's nuclear sites, saying nine nuclear scientists were killed in the operation. The Israeli government said the action was part of ongoing efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, which it considers an existential threat.
Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz has warned of imminent large-scale Israeli strikes in Tehran, targeting what he described as nuclear and regime-linked infrastructure.
Speaking to reporters at the site of a ballistic missile strike in central Israel, Katz said the Israeli Air Force would carry out 'very significant targets, strategic targets, targets of the regime and infrastructure' in the Iranian capital later.
According to The Times of Israel, Katz claimed there are 'more than 10 nuclear targets' in Tehran that Israel is 'on the verge of destroying,' citing Israeli aerial superiority in the region.
He also said the underground Fordo nuclear facility 'is an issue that will certainly be addressed.'
Katz said the Israel Defense Forces would issue evacuation warnings ahead of the strikes.
Earlier, Katz issued a similar warning to residents of Tehran.
As residents of Tehran grapple with an evacuation warning, a cyberattack has reportedly targeted one of Tehran's banks, Bank Sepah, with online services disrupted.
The state affiliated Fars news agency said that this will likely also cause disruption at some gas stations.
The hackers identified themselves as 'Gonjeshke Darande,' or 'Predatory Sparrow.' The group previously claimed responsibility for hacking a major steel mill in 2022, and for disrupting gas stations in 2023.
The sound of two loud explosions echoed across Tehran early Tuesday afternoon, with plumes of black smoke rising from the city's north, near the headquarters of Iranian state television and other key government buildings, writes AP.
There has been no immediate comment from Iranian authorities about the cause or extent of the blasts. Reporting from inside Iran remains difficult to independently verify, as media there is tightly controlled.
During a briefing with the Israeli Defense Forces, Katz also issued a direct warning to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, drawing a pointed comparison to Iraq's Saddam Hussein, who was overthrown in 2003.
'I warn the Iranian dictator against continuing to commit war crimes and launching missiles at Israeli civilians,' Katz said. 'He would do well to remember the fate of the dictator in the country neighbouring Iran who chose this same path against the State of Israel.'
The Israeli military confirmed it had earlier struck Tehran's Qiyadah air base, claiming to have killed Ali Shadmani, the recently appointed commander-in-chief of Iran's armed forces and a close ally of Khamenei. According to the IDF, Shadmani had served just four days in the top military role before being killed in what it described as a 'precision strike.'
An IDF spokesperson said the military is 'deepening and expanding achievements' across multiple targets in Iran and vowed to continue targeting missile sites, command centre's, and strategic infrastructure, including those involved in ground-to-ground and air-to-ground missile production.
Traffic reportedly remains heavy in parts of Tehran, though Iranian state media, which is tightly controlled, has provided limited information about the extent of damage or evacuations. Residents have also reported intermittent air defense activity overnight.
EU High Representative Kaja Kallas has also responded to Donald Trump's recent suggestions that the United States could get militarily involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran.
"We're not involved in it. It's possible we could get involved. But we are not at this moment involved," Trump told ABC News on Sunday.
Kallas made it clear she would not endorse such a move.
"When it comes to the United States getting involved, then it will definitely drag the region into broader conflict, and this is in nobody's interest," she said, answering a question from Euronews. "And from my call with Secretary of State Rubio, he emphasized that it's also not in their interest to be drawn into this conflict."
Kallas stressed the ongoing conflict could easily impact the wider region, with unpredictable consequences for all countries. "The risks (of) escalation and the risks of spillover effect are too great," she said. "Also, the risks of miscalculation, which is making this conflict even bigger." — Euronews
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