Israel, Iran trade deadly retaliatory strikes
Israel has launched an expanded assault on Iran targeting its energy industry and Defence Ministry headquarters, while Tehran unleashed a fresh barrage of deadly strikes.
The simultaneous attacks represented the latest burst of violence since a surprise offensive by Israel two days earlier aimed at decimating Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program.
Iranian missiles entered Israel's skies in attacks that Israeli emergency officials said caused deaths around the country, including four in an apartment building in the Galilee region. A strike in central Israel killed an 80-year-old woman, a 69-year-old woman and a 10-year-old boy, officials said.
Casualty figures weren't immediately available in Iran, where Israel targeted Defence Ministry headquarters in Tehran as well as sites that it alleged were associated with the country's nuclear program. Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed that Iranian missiles targeted fuel production facilities for Israeli fighter jets, something not acknowledged by Israel.
Amid the continued conflict, planned negotiations between Iran and the United States over Tehran's nuclear program were cancelled, throwing into question when and how an end to the fighting could come.
Both Israel's military and Iran state television announced the latest round of Iranian missiles as explosions were heard near midnight, while the Israeli security cabinet met.
Israel's ongoing strikes have left Iran's surviving leadership with the difficult decision of whether to plunge deeper into conflict with Israel's more powerful forces or seek a diplomatic route.
World leaders made urgent calls to de-escalate and avoid all-out war. The attack on nuclear sites set a "dangerous precedent," China's foreign minister said. The region is already on edge as Israel makes a new push to eliminate the Iranian-backed militant group Hamas in Gaza after 20 months of fighting.
Israel said its hundreds of strikes on Iran over the past two days have killed a number of top generals, nine senior scientists and experts involved in Iran's nuclear program. Iran's UN ambassador has said 78 people were killed and more than 320 wounded.
US intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency have repeatedly said Iran was not pursuing a nuclear weapon before Israel unleashed its campaign of airstrikes targeting Iran beginning Friday. But Iran's uranium enrichment has reached near weapons-grade levels, and on Thursday the UN's atomic watchdog censured Iran for not complying with obligations meant to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has made the destruction of Iran's nuclear program his top priority, said Israel's strikes so far are "nothing compared to what they will feel under the sway of our forces in the coming days."
In what could be another escalation if confirmed, semiofficial Iranian news agencies reported an Israeli drone struck and caused a "strong explosion" at an Iranian natural-gas processing plant. It would be the first Israeli attack on Iran's oil and natural gas industry. Israel's military did not immediately comment.
The sixth round of US-Iran indirect talks on Sunday over Iran 's nuclear program will not take place, mediator Oman said.
Iran's top diplomat said Saturday the nuclear talks were "unjustifiable" after Israel's strikes. Abbas Araghchi's comments came during a call with Kaja Kallas, the European Union's top diplomat.
The Israeli airstrikes were the "result of the direct support by Washington," Araghchi said in a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency. The US has said it isn't part of the strikes.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump urged Iran to reach a deal with the US on its nuclear program, adding that "Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left."
Israel has launched an expanded assault on Iran targeting its energy industry and Defence Ministry headquarters, while Tehran unleashed a fresh barrage of deadly strikes.
The simultaneous attacks represented the latest burst of violence since a surprise offensive by Israel two days earlier aimed at decimating Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program.
Iranian missiles entered Israel's skies in attacks that Israeli emergency officials said caused deaths around the country, including four in an apartment building in the Galilee region. A strike in central Israel killed an 80-year-old woman, a 69-year-old woman and a 10-year-old boy, officials said.
Casualty figures weren't immediately available in Iran, where Israel targeted Defence Ministry headquarters in Tehran as well as sites that it alleged were associated with the country's nuclear program. Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed that Iranian missiles targeted fuel production facilities for Israeli fighter jets, something not acknowledged by Israel.
Amid the continued conflict, planned negotiations between Iran and the United States over Tehran's nuclear program were cancelled, throwing into question when and how an end to the fighting could come.
Both Israel's military and Iran state television announced the latest round of Iranian missiles as explosions were heard near midnight, while the Israeli security cabinet met.
Israel's ongoing strikes have left Iran's surviving leadership with the difficult decision of whether to plunge deeper into conflict with Israel's more powerful forces or seek a diplomatic route.
World leaders made urgent calls to de-escalate and avoid all-out war. The attack on nuclear sites set a "dangerous precedent," China's foreign minister said. The region is already on edge as Israel makes a new push to eliminate the Iranian-backed militant group Hamas in Gaza after 20 months of fighting.
Israel said its hundreds of strikes on Iran over the past two days have killed a number of top generals, nine senior scientists and experts involved in Iran's nuclear program. Iran's UN ambassador has said 78 people were killed and more than 320 wounded.
US intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency have repeatedly said Iran was not pursuing a nuclear weapon before Israel unleashed its campaign of airstrikes targeting Iran beginning Friday. But Iran's uranium enrichment has reached near weapons-grade levels, and on Thursday the UN's atomic watchdog censured Iran for not complying with obligations meant to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has made the destruction of Iran's nuclear program his top priority, said Israel's strikes so far are "nothing compared to what they will feel under the sway of our forces in the coming days."
In what could be another escalation if confirmed, semiofficial Iranian news agencies reported an Israeli drone struck and caused a "strong explosion" at an Iranian natural-gas processing plant. It would be the first Israeli attack on Iran's oil and natural gas industry. Israel's military did not immediately comment.
The sixth round of US-Iran indirect talks on Sunday over Iran 's nuclear program will not take place, mediator Oman said.
Iran's top diplomat said Saturday the nuclear talks were "unjustifiable" after Israel's strikes. Abbas Araghchi's comments came during a call with Kaja Kallas, the European Union's top diplomat.
The Israeli airstrikes were the "result of the direct support by Washington," Araghchi said in a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency. The US has said it isn't part of the strikes.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump urged Iran to reach a deal with the US on its nuclear program, adding that "Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left."
Israel has launched an expanded assault on Iran targeting its energy industry and Defence Ministry headquarters, while Tehran unleashed a fresh barrage of deadly strikes.
The simultaneous attacks represented the latest burst of violence since a surprise offensive by Israel two days earlier aimed at decimating Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program.
Iranian missiles entered Israel's skies in attacks that Israeli emergency officials said caused deaths around the country, including four in an apartment building in the Galilee region. A strike in central Israel killed an 80-year-old woman, a 69-year-old woman and a 10-year-old boy, officials said.
Casualty figures weren't immediately available in Iran, where Israel targeted Defence Ministry headquarters in Tehran as well as sites that it alleged were associated with the country's nuclear program. Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed that Iranian missiles targeted fuel production facilities for Israeli fighter jets, something not acknowledged by Israel.
Amid the continued conflict, planned negotiations between Iran and the United States over Tehran's nuclear program were cancelled, throwing into question when and how an end to the fighting could come.
Both Israel's military and Iran state television announced the latest round of Iranian missiles as explosions were heard near midnight, while the Israeli security cabinet met.
Israel's ongoing strikes have left Iran's surviving leadership with the difficult decision of whether to plunge deeper into conflict with Israel's more powerful forces or seek a diplomatic route.
World leaders made urgent calls to de-escalate and avoid all-out war. The attack on nuclear sites set a "dangerous precedent," China's foreign minister said. The region is already on edge as Israel makes a new push to eliminate the Iranian-backed militant group Hamas in Gaza after 20 months of fighting.
Israel said its hundreds of strikes on Iran over the past two days have killed a number of top generals, nine senior scientists and experts involved in Iran's nuclear program. Iran's UN ambassador has said 78 people were killed and more than 320 wounded.
US intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency have repeatedly said Iran was not pursuing a nuclear weapon before Israel unleashed its campaign of airstrikes targeting Iran beginning Friday. But Iran's uranium enrichment has reached near weapons-grade levels, and on Thursday the UN's atomic watchdog censured Iran for not complying with obligations meant to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has made the destruction of Iran's nuclear program his top priority, said Israel's strikes so far are "nothing compared to what they will feel under the sway of our forces in the coming days."
In what could be another escalation if confirmed, semiofficial Iranian news agencies reported an Israeli drone struck and caused a "strong explosion" at an Iranian natural-gas processing plant. It would be the first Israeli attack on Iran's oil and natural gas industry. Israel's military did not immediately comment.
The sixth round of US-Iran indirect talks on Sunday over Iran 's nuclear program will not take place, mediator Oman said.
Iran's top diplomat said Saturday the nuclear talks were "unjustifiable" after Israel's strikes. Abbas Araghchi's comments came during a call with Kaja Kallas, the European Union's top diplomat.
The Israeli airstrikes were the "result of the direct support by Washington," Araghchi said in a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency. The US has said it isn't part of the strikes.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump urged Iran to reach a deal with the US on its nuclear program, adding that "Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left."
Israel has launched an expanded assault on Iran targeting its energy industry and Defence Ministry headquarters, while Tehran unleashed a fresh barrage of deadly strikes.
The simultaneous attacks represented the latest burst of violence since a surprise offensive by Israel two days earlier aimed at decimating Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program.
Iranian missiles entered Israel's skies in attacks that Israeli emergency officials said caused deaths around the country, including four in an apartment building in the Galilee region. A strike in central Israel killed an 80-year-old woman, a 69-year-old woman and a 10-year-old boy, officials said.
Casualty figures weren't immediately available in Iran, where Israel targeted Defence Ministry headquarters in Tehran as well as sites that it alleged were associated with the country's nuclear program. Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed that Iranian missiles targeted fuel production facilities for Israeli fighter jets, something not acknowledged by Israel.
Amid the continued conflict, planned negotiations between Iran and the United States over Tehran's nuclear program were cancelled, throwing into question when and how an end to the fighting could come.
Both Israel's military and Iran state television announced the latest round of Iranian missiles as explosions were heard near midnight, while the Israeli security cabinet met.
Israel's ongoing strikes have left Iran's surviving leadership with the difficult decision of whether to plunge deeper into conflict with Israel's more powerful forces or seek a diplomatic route.
World leaders made urgent calls to de-escalate and avoid all-out war. The attack on nuclear sites set a "dangerous precedent," China's foreign minister said. The region is already on edge as Israel makes a new push to eliminate the Iranian-backed militant group Hamas in Gaza after 20 months of fighting.
Israel said its hundreds of strikes on Iran over the past two days have killed a number of top generals, nine senior scientists and experts involved in Iran's nuclear program. Iran's UN ambassador has said 78 people were killed and more than 320 wounded.
US intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency have repeatedly said Iran was not pursuing a nuclear weapon before Israel unleashed its campaign of airstrikes targeting Iran beginning Friday. But Iran's uranium enrichment has reached near weapons-grade levels, and on Thursday the UN's atomic watchdog censured Iran for not complying with obligations meant to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has made the destruction of Iran's nuclear program his top priority, said Israel's strikes so far are "nothing compared to what they will feel under the sway of our forces in the coming days."
In what could be another escalation if confirmed, semiofficial Iranian news agencies reported an Israeli drone struck and caused a "strong explosion" at an Iranian natural-gas processing plant. It would be the first Israeli attack on Iran's oil and natural gas industry. Israel's military did not immediately comment.
The sixth round of US-Iran indirect talks on Sunday over Iran 's nuclear program will not take place, mediator Oman said.
Iran's top diplomat said Saturday the nuclear talks were "unjustifiable" after Israel's strikes. Abbas Araghchi's comments came during a call with Kaja Kallas, the European Union's top diplomat.
The Israeli airstrikes were the "result of the direct support by Washington," Araghchi said in a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency. The US has said it isn't part of the strikes.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump urged Iran to reach a deal with the US on its nuclear program, adding that "Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left."
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ABC News
39 minutes ago
- ABC News
Will Israel's conflict with Iran draw in the US?
Sam Hawley: Benjamin Netanyahu insists his sweeping attacks on Iran are a necessity to protect Israel from a nuclear holocaust. But why has the Israeli leader decided to strike now and what is his ultimate aim? Today, Hussein Ibish from the Arab Gulf States Institute on the risk of a further escalation and America being drawn into the conflict. I'm Sam Hawley on Gadigal land in Sydney. This is ABC News Daily. News report: After weeks of threats, explosions across Iran. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister: Moments ago Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival. News report: Israel striking what it says were dozens of Iranian military and nuclear sites as well as key officials and scientists. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister: If not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time. This is a clear and present danger to Israel's very survival. News report: Explosions and plumes of smoke have filled the Tel Aviv skyline as a barrage of retaliatory strikes rains down. News report: The Israeli government has said that it expects this offensive is going to ramp up and continue perhaps for as long as two weeks. Sam Hawley: Hussein, this is the most fierce fighting between Israel and Iran in decades. Do we describe it as a war at this point? Hussein Ibish: Yeah, definitely it's a war. It's the first war between Israel and Iran ever. Those two countries had never exchanged direct kinetic military blows before last year when they had more limited missile strikes against each other. In this case, it seems to be with the Israelis hitting the Iranians as hard as possible and then something like that in return. The Israelis appear to be trying to strike Iran with some form of a knockout blow. Although how they would calculate the success or failure, what the metric is for that is not yet clear. But it's definitely a war. Now, it's the kind of war that's very much in the modern era. This is a war that isn't likely to involve ground forces. This is a war that's going to be conducted by air. Sam Hawley: Well, Rising Lion, which is what the Israelis have dubbed this operation, it's pretty sophisticated, isn't it? Not many militaries could pull something like this off. Hussein Ibish: No, I think that's right. I think it is sophisticated. I mean, first, it's sophisticated in terms of targeting and accuracy. They are able to hit the targets they want to hit with more accuracy than most militaries could dream of having. And so that's one aspect. And another aspect is not only can they hit what they want to hit, they know what to hit in Iran. A lot of times, countries would have a general sense of, well, there's this buildup here and there's this installation there, but we don't really have the details there. In the case of Israel and Iran, I think that's not the case. Sam Hawley: So they have, of course, Israel damaged Iran's nuclear facilities. I guess the question, Hussein, is can Israel actually destroy Iran's nuclear program? Is that actually possible? Hussein Ibish: Well, the working assumption until now has been probably not. And I'm not sure we've seen anything that changes our minds on that. I mean, the general sense, my sense, certainly, going into this was Israel could give Iran a bloody nose, possibly a few broken bones, and really harm the nuclear program and do great damage to it, but not kick it back, say, 20 years, not make it so badly damaged that it's non-functional for a generation. And I think my sense was the United States had the bunker-buster capabilities to do that, and to do it in a few days through round-the-clock bombing with huge-scale conventional weapons. The U.S. has not given these in large numbers to Israel or anybody else. So the question is, is Israeli intelligence so sophisticated and thoroughgoing? And is their capability just barely sufficient to carry them over the threshold? And I have to say I'd be surprised. I think the Israeli plan must be either to force the Iranians into a humiliating and damaging agreement with the United States that renders it non-nuclear for a generation or two, or to instigate regime change in Iran. The idea is to force a still robust elite in Iran to say, these guys, this Islamic Republic crew, has mishandled Persian national interests that has a 6,000-year history so badly. They've got to go or be radically reformed in ways that will change policies and attitudes. Sam Hawley: Benjamin Netanyahu, of course, in a video address, spoke directly to the Iranian people, saying this is your moment to overthrow this brutal regime. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister: The time has come for you to unite around your flag and your historic legacy by standing up for your freedom from an evil and oppressive regime. Brave people of Iran, your light will defeat the darkness. I'm with you. The people of Israel are with you. Hussein Ibish: Yeah, that's I think the Israeli hope, is that they could either engineer street-level unrest that's sufficient to bring down the regime or force radical change. And I think that's very unlikely. That really doesn't usually happen. Like a foreign power smashes up your national resources. And most Iranians agree with the nuclear program, by the way. It's not about the nature of the regime. This is something that Iranians generally feel deeply about. So I think it's unlikely that people will pour out into the street. The bigger target of Netanyahu and the Americans is the Iranian elite. And saying to them, you know, these people are mismanaging your national resources to the point of disaster. Do something about it. Sam Hawley: All right. Well, Israel defied, of course, Donald Trump by launching this action. He had warned Benjamin Netanyahu not to do anything that could undermine the US nuclear talks with Iran, which are, of course, now off altogether. Hussein Ibish: I wonder about that. Sam Hawley: Well, what does his disregard for Trump tell us, if anything? Hussein Ibish: Well, OK. So there are many ways of reading this. One is that, yeah, the administration didn't do anything in word or deed that is known to encourage Israel in doing this. But so there was no green light as such. Certainly nothing that is attributable. But there also was no red light. Trump has said he knew the date of the attack, which means he knew about it in advance. And he didn't go to the mat to stop it. He didn't tell the Israelis, if you do this, I will no longer talk to you, etc. In fact, he's been quite nice to the Israelis after this. Not endorsing it, but not condemning it either. So what the Americans are doing is what is known in American diplomatic circles as constructive ambiguity. That's what they call it. What they mean is that they've adopted a position that allows the Israelis to say, well, we have American backing. Because they haven't said no. And so, you know, we're still in good standing with Washington. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister: This is what Israel is doing with the support, the clear support of the president of the United States, Donald Trump, and the American people. Hussein Ibish: And for the Iranians to be able to tell themselves and their own people that, well, the Americans have not been part of this. So if we do end up going back to negotiations with Washington, which they might, let me tell you, then it wouldn't be under duress. And the Americans, similarly, the neo-isolationists around Trump in the kind of fascist wing of his constituency led by Steve Bannon, could say, oh, good, he's staying out of this conflict. No more Middle East wars. Whereas the kind of pro-Israel faction that includes the religious right led by J.D. Vance and also the Jewish right wingers can say, oh, he's got Israel's back. Both readings are plausible. Sam Hawley: All right. Well, Hussein, what are the risks now that this could escalate into a wider regional war? And who would be drawn into that if it did happen? Hussein Ibish: There are serious risks, but the players who would join the Iranian camp are limited. When Bashar al-Assad fell, they lost the linchpin of their network. Everything centered around Syria was their one state ally, state level ally in the Arab world and in the Middle East. And the Turkish engineer downfall of al-Assad. But without Assad, it's these disparate gangs. So you've got the popular mobilization front groups in Iraq with their little missiles. You got the Houthis with the kind of dangerous stuff, but very limited they can do. And Hezbollah still exists in Lebanon. They may try to do some things, but Iran's reach now is going to be much more, I think, you know, restricted to what they can do themselves. And maybe the Houthis, possibly some missile strikes from Hezbollah. But I would look to Iranian proxies and sponsored groups and intelligence services to attack soft targets around the world. You know, engage in classical forms of terrorism that we generally haven't seen for a while. And, you know, so I would beef up security at Israeli and pro-Israel Jewish centers around the world. I would be very cautious. And I think the Iranian regime is of a mentality to do that and has the capabilities to do that. Sam Hawley: Is there a chance America could be dragged into this, do you think? Hussein Ibish: Of course, yes. If the Americans are attacked, they will respond directly. And maybe the biggest threat of that in Iraq, where there are these hot-headed militia groups that Iran has created but doesn't fully control. So you have all these different little groups, some of them bigger like Kata'ib Hezbollah and others that are larger and some of them small. And all of them armed and all of them hopping mad. And who knows who's saying what to whom. And there are lots of American targets around, lots of American military targets and American-related targets. So look to Iraq as one place that could happen. And, of course, the Houthis in Yemen have the capability of doing crazy and dangerous things with regard to shipping. But I think the Iranians, if they get that way, will have the U.S. not get dragged into this. And they will be trying to prevent adding Washington's power to the list of horribles they have to deal with. They don't need more firepower aimed at them right now. Sam Hawley: All right. Well, Hussein, if nothing else, this does show us, doesn't it, that the world can change very slowly. But it can also change very, very quickly, particularly if there's a change or a shift in global power. Hussein Ibish: Oh, yeah. Well, change generally happens in the blink of an eye. The Soviet Union is mighty superpower until it's gone. Apartheid in South Africa is immovable until Nelson Mandela is suddenly the president. Things that seem impossible, until they happen, they are far-fetched. Sam Hawley: Hussein Ibsih is from the Arab Gulf States Institute, a Washington-based think tank. This episode was produced by Sydney Pead. Audio production by Adair Sheppard. Our supervising producer is David Coady. I'm Sam Hawley. Thanks for listening.
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Israeli military confirms attack on Yemen
The Israeli military has confirmed overnight air strikes on Yemen's capital following reports of loud explosions in Sana'a. Israeli fighter jets "struck in Sana'a, Yemen," military spokesman Effi Defrin said. Broadcaster al-Arabiya reported the Israeli strikes might have hit a meeting of high-ranking Houthi officials. 🎯 WATCH where we struck in both Iran and Yemen:This is what the scale of our operational activity to eliminate Iran's influence across the region looks like: Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 15, 2025 According to the Times of Israel, citing Israeli officials, the attack was aimed at the military chief of the Iran-aligned Houthi militia, Muhammed al-Ghamari. The Israeli military did not comment on the report when asked, stating only that it would report on the results of the attack. Yemen's Houthi rebels, who control large parts of the civil war-torn country, have been attacking Israel with missiles and drones since the beginning of the Gaza Strip war in October 2023, in what they say are acts of solidarity with Palestinian militant group Hamas. The attacks have intensified again since mid-March, prompting Israel to launch air strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. According to unconfirmed media reports, the Houthi forces joined Iran in firing missiles at Israel overnight amid the military escalation between the two regional rivals triggered by Israeli attacks on Friday.
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Trump says calls 'taking place' for Iran-Israel peace
Iran and Israel will have peace "soon," US President Donald Trump says in a social media post, adding that there were many unspecified meetings happening and that the two countries should make a deal. Israel and Iran launched fresh attacks on each other overnight into Sunday, killing scores. "Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal," Trump said on Truth Social, adding that "we will have PEACE, soon". "Many calls and meetings now taking place," he said. Trump did not offer any details about the meetings or evidence of progress toward peace. His assertion contradicted comments by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said on Saturday that Israel's campaign against Iran would intensify. A White House spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how Trump and the White House were working to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East. Trump, who portrays himself as a peacemaker and has drawn criticism from many of his supporters for not being able to prevent the Israel-Iran conflict, cited other disputes that he took responsibility for solving, including between India and Pakistan, and lamented not getting more praise for doing so. "I do a lot, and never get credit for anything, but that's OK, the PEOPLE understand. MAKE THE MIDDLE EAST GREAT AGAIN!" he wrote. Israeli rescue teams combed through rubble of residential buildings destroyed by Iranian missiles on Sunday, using sniffer dogs and heavy excavators to look for survivors after at least 10 people, including children, were killed, raising the two-day toll to 13. Sirens rang out across Israel after 4pm in the first such daylight alert, and fresh explosions could be heard in Tel Aviv. In Iran, images from the capital Tehran showed the night sky lit up by a huge blaze at a fuel depot after Israel began strikes against Iran's oil and gas sector - raising the stakes for the global economy and the functioning of the Iranian state. Iranian authorities have not given a full death toll but said 78 people were killed on Friday and scores more have died since, including in a single attack that killed 60 on Saturday, half of them children, in a 14-storey apartment block flattened in Tehran. At least 14 Iranian nuclear scientists have been killed in Israeli attacks since Friday, including in car bombs, two sources in the Gulf said on Sunday. Israel launched "Operation Rising Lion" with a surprise attack on Friday morning that wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command and damaged its nuclear sites, and says the campaign will continue to escalate in coming days. Iran has vowed to "open the gates of hell" in retaliation. The Israeli military warned Iranians living near weapons facilities to leave. "Iran will pay a heavy price for the murder of civilians, women and children," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said from a balcony overlooking blown-out apartments in the town of Bat Yam where six people were killed. An official said Israel still had a long list of targets in Iran and declined to say how long the offensive would continue. Those attacked on Saturday evening included two "dual-use" fuel sites that supported military and nuclear operations, he said. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran's responses will grow "more decisive and severe" if Israel's hostile actions continue.
