Israel and Iran trade blows as air war rages into fifth day
Israel has said it targeted military sites in Iran and killed a senior commander in fresh strikes, prompting Tehran to fire missiles in retaliation on the fifth day of escalating clashes.
Explosions were heard over Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in the morning, shortly after air raid sirens sounded across parts of Israel following missile launches from Iran, the Israeli military said.
The air force was "operating to intercept and strike where necessary to eliminate the threat", the military said.
About 20 minutes later, it said people could leave shelters as police reported debris fell in the Tel Aviv area and the fire brigade said it was tackling a blaze in the surrounding area.
The Israeli military said it killed senior Iranian commander Ali Shamdani in an overnight strike on a "command centre in the heart of Tehran", four days after he replaced Golam Ali Rashid, who was killed in an Israeli strike.
It also said it targeted multiple missile and drone sites in west Iran, including infrastructure, launchers and storage facilities, with black-and-white footage showing some of them exploding.
Despite mounting calls to de-escalate, neither side has backed off from the missile blitz that began on Friday, when Israel launched an unprecedented aerial campaign targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities.
A new wave of Israeli strikes on Tehran - including a dramatic hit on state television headquarters that the broadcaster said killed three people - prompted both sides to activate missile defence systems overnight.
'Pouring oil' on conflict
US President Donald Trump has insisted Washington was not involved in the initial strikes and has repeatedly declined to say whether the United States will support the Israeli military action.
After earlier calling for talks, Mr Trump issued an extraordinary warning on his Truth Social platform: "Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!" He then left a Group of Seven summit in Canada early to return to Washington.
On his arrival back in the United States, Trump said he was aiming for a "real end" to the conflict, and not just a ceasefire.
"I'm not looking for a ceasefire, we're looking at better than a ceasefire," Mr Trump told reporters, adding that he wanted a "complete give-up" by Iran.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said the United States was deploying "additional capabilities" to the Middle East.
The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz left Southeast Asia on Monday, scrapping a planned Vietnam port call, amid reports it was heading to the region.
China accused Mr Trump of "pouring oil" on the conflict.
"Making threats and mounting pressure will not help to promote the de-escalation of the situation, but will only intensify and widen the conflict," said foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun.
After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel launched its surprise air campaign last week, saying it aimed to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons - an ambition Tehran denies.
Iran has responded with multiple missile salvos. The Revolutionary Guards vowed on Monday night the attacks would continue "without interruption until dawn".
State television said the Tel Aviv headquarters of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency was among the Guards' targets.
G7 urges de-escalation
The escalation has derailed nuclear talks and stoked fears of broader conflict.
At least 24 people have been killed in Israel and hundreds wounded, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.
Iran said on Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. It has not issued an updated toll since then.
Mr Netanyahu said Israel was "changing the face of the Middle East, and that can lead to radical changes inside Iran itself".
Iran's ISNA news agency quoted a medical official saying all doctors and nurses had their leave cancelled and were ordered to remain at medical centres.
International calls for calm have mounted.
At the G7 summit, leaders including Mr Trump called Monday for "de-escalation" while stressing Israel had the right to defend itself.
"We urge that the resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza", G7 leaders said in a joint statement that also affirmed "Iran can never have a nuclear weapon".
The United States and Iran had engaged in several rounds of indirect talks on Tehran's nuclear programme in recent weeks, but Iran said after the start of Israel's campaign that it would not negotiate while under attack.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday that "absent a total cessation of military aggression against us, our responses will continue".
"It takes one phone call from Washington to muzzle someone like Netanyahu. That may pave the way for a return to diplomacy," he wrote on X.
A senior US official told AFP Trump had intervened to prevent Israel from carrying out an assassination of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
But Mr Netanyahu did not rule out the possibility when asked about the reports during an interview with ABC News.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
37 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Billy Kelleher: Ursula von der Leyen does not speak for the EU on Israel
Twelve months ago, the screw was being turned on the Fianna Fáil MEPs to do a U-turn on their previous commitments not to vote for Ursula von der Leyen as European Commission president. The body politic, the chattering classes, and Ireland's political elite all sought to put pressure on us to go back on the promise we made to our voters. We quite rightly resisted. Twelve months on, Ms von der Leyen's recent utterances on the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict prove, in my opinion, that we were right to withhold our support for her re-election. Quite simply, the Commission president cannot help herself when it comes to Israel and the Middle East. So when presented with an opportunity to give fulsome, wholehearted and unequivocal support to Israel, she always jumps at the chance. In the immediate aftermath of Israel launching missile strikes on Iran, the Commission president tweeted that she had already spoken to prime minister Netanyahu and that 'Israel has a right to defend itself.' Israel does have a right to defend itself. Nevertheless, did Iran attack Israel in such a way that warranted the actions of the last week? Just spoke with Prime Minister @netanyahu. We are following developments in the Middle East with deep concern. I reiterated our commitment to peace, stability, and diplomatic efforts leading to de-escalation. In this context, I underlined that Israel has the right to defend… — Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) June 15, 2025 One has to ask 'why now?' Was the attack an attempt to distract from the ongoing genocide in Gaza or to scuttle the proposed two-state solution conference? Only the Israeli authorities can answer that question, but prime minister Netanyahu does have form in this regard. Of course, we all know that Iran is a rogue state. The evidence is clear that they are attempting to develop nuclear capacities for military purposes. This is something we should all be extremely concerned about if we want to make the world a safer place. However, Israel cannot simply launch its own pre-emptive strike whenever it sees fit. There is a global order, international law, and diplomatic channels to follow and respect. What is worse is that Israel has also developed nuclear capacities in the last number of decades. The global community should be just as worried about this development as they are about Iran getting nuclear weapons. Von der Leyen strays beyond her competence Getting back to Ms von der Leyen and her actions, it is obvious that she is straying outside of her competences as Commission president. The Treaties are quite clear on the issue of foreign policy. Article 18(2) of the Treaties on the European Union is clear. The High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, in conjunction with the president of the European Council, António Costa, speaks on behalf of the European Union on agreed foreign policy matters. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen flanked by the office holders who speak on behalf of the EU on agreed foreign policy matters — EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, and European Council president António Costa. Picture: Kin Cheung/PA Unfortunately, Ms von der Leyen does not seem to accept or respect the treaties that frame and govern our Union. As per the principle of the Rule of Law, all European Union officials, no less the Commission president, must respect the division of powers and responsibilities within the EU institutions. The Commission president is consistently encroaching into areas that are not hers to lead on. It is part of her policy of centralising power in her and in the people she surrounds herself with. One only has to look at how she has reformed the reporting structures in the College of Commissioners to neutralise the power of the executive vice presidents and make herself the dominant decision-maker. EU's role as honest broker Under Ms von der Leyen's leadership, the European Union has moved away from the traditional role it played for decades in the Middle East, which is that of an honest broker committed to finding a peaceful two-state solution. The vast majority of the Arab world, but especially the Palestinian people, view the EU as being on the side of Israel, no matter what. It is hard to disagree with this assessment. The EU has been unwilling to sanction the Israeli leadership, something the UK, Canada and Australia have been able to do. We are prevaricating over the possible suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which gives preferential access to Israel to the European Single Market. Failure to face up to Israel Any honest appraisal of Israel's actions since Hamas' barbaric attacks on October 7, 2023 would determine it is grossly in breach of its human rights obligations under that agreement. Yet, as a Union, due to historical guilt, arising from the brutality of the Holocaust in certain member states, we cannot bring ourselves to do the right thing. It is time that the European Parliament, and indeed the member states, reminded Ms von der Leyen of the limitations on her powers. She should remember that the role of Commission president was designed to be that of a balanced chair of the College of Commissioners; not that of an all-powerful chief and certainly not the single voice on foreign policy. There has been movement regarding the attitudes towards Israel among EU member states. Even the new German chancellor threatened to take steps in response to the breaches of humanitarian law by Israel. Ms Von der Leyen must take heed of these shifts. She can no longer staunchly defend her position in the face of what is unfolding in Gaza, and can no longer act as an unaccountable voice of the EU. Billy Kelleher is the head of the Fianna Fáil delegation in the European Parliament and MEP for Ireland South
The Journal
an hour ago
- The Journal
Irish embassies contact passport holders in Israel and Iran as evacuation plans considered
LAST UPDATE | 40 mins ago IRISH EMBASSIES IN Iran and Israel have been in touch with Irish passport holders residing in both countries as it considers evacuation plans following the escalation between the two countries. Iran and Israel have been arch-foes for decades but are now actively attacking each other after Israel launched attacks on Iran on Friday. According to figures released by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office yesterday, a total of 24 people have been killed in Israel since the first Iranian shots fired in response to the Israeli strikes on Friday. Iran's health ministry reported at least 224 people killed and more than 1,200 wounded in Israeli attacks in the same time frame. It is understood that as of today, there are no plans for the Irish government to launch a rescue of Irish citizens currently residing in either country, nor are there plans to sent an Emergency Consular Assistance Team (ECAT) to either country. An ECAT would be comprised of an Army Ranger Wing Team and diplomats from the Department of Foreign Affairs. It is also understood that there is a scoping exercise ongoing between Ireland and a number of other European countries to assess the situation. Meeting with EU Foreign Ministers This morning, Tánaiste Simon Harris attended a meeting of EU foreign ministers to discuss the conflict between Israel and Iran and EU efforts 'to de-escalate the situation'. Harris, who attended the emergency conference by video link, confirmed the number of Irish citizens known to be in either country. Speaking to media this morning, Harris said that he will 'call for a de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy' at the meeting and for 'the European Union to stand ready to assist in any way that it possibly can'. 'There has to be a focus on how we can evacuate our citizens, including Irish citizens, who want to leave Iran and want to leave Israel,' he said. Advertisement 'This morning, I spoke with our ambassador in Tel Aviv and our ambassador in Iran to get an update on the number of Irish citizens seeking assistance. 'We now have around 30 people registered in Iran as Irish citizens – many of them are long-term residents in Iran – and in Israel we have around 200 people on our citizens' register there. 'I think it's so important that Europe today considers how we can much better co-ordinate in terms of how we get our citizens out of Israel and out of Iran if and when it's safe to do or if and when routes become available.' Citizens of Poland and Austria assemble at a hotel in Tel Aviv, Israel, for evacuation amid heavy strikes on Israel by Iran. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Yesterday, several Irish MEPs slammed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for publicly supporting Israel and placing blame on Iran in the escalating Middle East conflict, accusing her of acting without the consensus or mandate of EU member states. In a statement on Sunday evening, following a call with Netanyahu, von der Leyen claimed that Iran 'is the main source of regional instability' in the Middle East and implied that the nation was at fault for the ongoing conflict with Israel. In the statement following her call with Netanyahu, von der Leyen pointed to the UN nuclear watchdog's finding earlier in the week that Iran was not in compliance with its obligations. 'In this context, I underlined that Israel has the right to defend itself,' she said. 'Europe has always been clear: Iran can never acquire a nuclear weapon. There is an urgent need for a negotiated solution,' she said. Harris said earlier that Irish embassies in Tehran and Tel Aviv are in 'close contact' with Irish citizens on the ground. 'Any Irish citizens in the region are advised to remain in close contact with their nearest Embassy, to be vigilant, and to follow the advice of local authorities, including any orders to shelter in place. We continue to advise against all travel to Iran and Israel for Irish citizens.' Additional reporting by Niall O'Connor and Lauren Boland Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Israel ‘killed top Iranian general' as Trump warns people to flee Iran's capital
Israel has claimed to have killed a top Iranian general as it traded more strikes with its long-time foe, as US President Donald Trump warned residents of Tehran to evacuate while demanding that Iran surrender without conditions. Mr Trump left the G7 summit in Canada a day early to deal with the conflict between Israel and Iran, telling reporters on Air Force One during the flight back to Washington DC: 'I'm not looking at a ceasefire. We're looking at better than a ceasefire.' When asked to explain, he said the US wanted to see 'a real end' to the conflict that could involve Iran 'giving up entirely'. US President Donald Trump walks from Marine One to board Air Force One at Calgary International Airport in Canada (Mark Schiefelbein/AP) He added: 'I'm not too much in the mood to negotiate.' Later, he warned Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that the US knows where he is hiding and called for Iran's 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER'. Mr Trump's hard line added to the uncertainty roiling the region on the fifth day of Israel's air campaign aimed at Iran's military and nuclear programme. Residents of Tehran fled their homes in droves, and the UN nuclear watchdog for the first time said Israeli strikes on Iran's main enrichment facility at Natanz had also damaged its main underground section, not just an above-ground facility, as previously acknowledged. Israel says its sweeping assault on Iran's military leaders, nuclear scientists, uranium enrichment sites and ballistic missile programme is necessary to prevent its adversary from getting any closer to building an atomic weapon. The strikes have killed at least 224 people in Iran. Iran has retaliated by launching some 400 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel. So far, 24 people have been killed in Israel. – Israel targets more Iranian leaders The Israeli military claimed to have killed another top Iranian general in a strike on Tehran. Iran did not immediately comment on the reported killing of General Ali Shadmani, whom Israel described as the most senior military commander in Iran. General Shadmani was little-known in the country before being appointed last week to a chief-of-staff-like role as head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters. Few pedestrians walk along the historic Grand Bazaar as shops remain shuttered, in Tehran, Iran (Vahid Salemi/AP) That appointment followed the killing of his predecessor, General Gholam Ali Rashid, in an Israeli strike. The Israeli military warned the population to stay close to shelters as Iran fired new salvos of missiles, but officials said most were intercepted. Sirens blared in southern Israel, including in the desert town of Dimona, the heart of Israel's never-acknowledged nuclear arms programme. Iran has fired fewer missiles in each of its barrages, with just a handful launched late on Tuesday. It has not explained the drop in missiles fired, but the decline comes after Israel targeted many Iranian launchers. Meanwhile, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported Israeli airstrikes around the city of Isfahan, with air defences also firing. A series of explosions and anti-aircraft fire boomed throughout Tehran just before 6.30pm. – Shops closed, lines for gas in Iran's capital Echoing an earlier Israeli military call for some 330,000 residents of a neighbourhood in downtown Tehran to evacuate, Mr Trump warned on social media that 'everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran'. Tehran is one of the largest cities in the Middle East, with around 10 million people, roughly equivalent to the entire population of Israel. Relatives attend the funeral of four members of the Khatib family, Palestinian citizens of Israel killed in an Iranian missile strike on Tamra, Israel (Mahmoud Illean/AP) People have been fleeing since hostilities began. Asked why he had urged the evacuation of Tehran, Mr Trump said: 'I just want people to be safe.' Downtown Tehran emptied out early on Tuesday, with many shops shuttered, even the ancient Grand Bazaar, which has closed only in times of crisis, such as during the 2022 anti-government protests and the coronavirus pandemic. On the roads out of Tehran to the west, traffic stood bumper to bumper. Many middle- and upper-class Iranians were headed to the Caspian Sea, a popular getaway spot. Long lines snaked from Tehran's gas stations. Across the city, billboards called for a 'severe' response to Israeli strikes. – Signs that Iran is restricting access to outside world Iranian authorities appeared to be curbing the public's access to the outside world. Phone and internet service appeared disrupted, with landline phones unable to receive or dial international calls. NetBlocks, an internet monitoring group, reported that it had detected a significant drop in internet traffic from the country. The Natanz nuclear enrichment facility, where multiple buildings were destroyed from recent Israeli airstrikes (Maxar Technologies/AP) Iran, which has crippled important communications tools in past nationwide protests and during the 1980s Iran-Iraq war, did not acknowledge any restrictions. International websites appeared to be blocked, but local websites were functioning, likely signalling that Iran had turned on the so-called 'halal net', its own locally controlled version of the internet aimed at restricting what the public can see. In another sign of restricted access, Iran's state TV on Tuesday urged the public to remove the messaging app WhatsApp from their mobile phones, alleging without evidence that the app gathered user information to send to Israel. In a statement, WhatsApp said it was concerned that 'these false reports will be an excuse for our services to be blocked at a time when people need them the most'.
