Israel, Iran conduct fresh strikes
Israel and Iran have continued carrying out attacks despite diplomatic efforts by leaders across the world.
The Israel Defense Forces said on Friday that they conducted operations in western and northwestern Iran, destroying missile storage and launch facilities.
Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the IDF to launch attacks against the Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij volunteer militia.
Tasnim, the news agency affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, said on Friday their forces hit back with ballistic missiles and drones. Those attacks reportedly hurt 23 people in the northern Israeli city of Haifa.
People in Tehran took to the streets after Friday prayers to protest the Israeli strikes. They carried pictures of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei while chanting "Death to Israel."
Israeli leaders have said their remaining goal is to wipe out the uranium enrichment site at Fordow in central Iran. The facility is believed to be located deep underground.
Steve Ganyard, a former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State who previously served as a Marine Corps fighter pilot, said taking the facility out would be challenging. He said if the US decides to get involved, the military would have to deploy bombs known as "bunker busters."
Ganyard said it is unclear how many of the bombs it would take to destroy the facility, adding that indications point to it being an enormous complex. He said, "That's a big area underneath there, and those halls are massive."
Ganyard added that multiple B2 stealth bombers would be needed to carry the payloads and that they would need to conduct a series of attacks, not just a one-time operation.
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