In photos: Demining Syria, the ‘most land mine-affected place in the world'
RAQQA, Syria — Mofida Majthou squatted, holding a detonator affixed to the end of a long wire. More than 1,600 feet away, winding past a cinder-block shack and across an expanse of sand and stone, the wire dipped into a hole containing 25 submunitions from cluster bombs, an anti-tank mine, the main charge from an improvised explosive device laid by the Islamic State and 200 grams of additional explosive material.
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Israel launched a punishing air campaign on Iran early Friday, killing some of the upper echelons of Iran's military leadership along with parts of its nuclear infrastructure. The strikes prompted swift retaliation with what Israel's military said was an attack involving more than 100 drones, even as Iran vowed it was the first wave of its response. Explosions began to rock Tehran shortly after 3 AM, with blasts reported in the Iranian capital's central, northeastern and northwestern neighborhoods. It was one part of a barrage the Israeli military said had roughly 200 warplanes hitting more than 100 nuclear sites, ballistic missile factories and other military areas across the country, including in Natanz, Kermanshah and Tabriz. Friday's attacks comprised a significant escalation between the two long-time adversaries — raising fears of a full-on regional conflict likely to embroil the U.S. in another Middle Eastern war. 'This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat,' said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video statement released early Friday. 'This is a clear and present danger to Israel's very survival.' Read more: Israel attacks Iran's capital; blasts rock Tehran The Israeli strikes proved to be a devastating blow to Iran's top military leadership. Iranian state and local media confirmed the death of Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, the Iranian armed forces' chief of staff; Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps; and Maj. Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid, an IRGC commander that heads the army's central headquarters. Also killed were veteran nuclear scientists Fereydoon Abbasi, Abdolhamid Minoucher and Mohammad-Mehdi Tehranchi, according to the semi-official Iranian outlet Press TV. Iranian state media said the attacks on residential areas in Tehran killed a number of civilians, including children. 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'President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel." U.S. embassies across the region issued restrictions on movements; in recent days, several embassies evacuated non-essential staff. Hours before the strikes, President Trump said he did not want Israel to attack so as not to impact negotiations. 'I don't want them going in because, I mean, that would blow it,' he said. It was unclear if negotiations would continue. Israel's operation spurred a raft of condemnations from regional countries. Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry denounced the 'heinous Israeli attacks against the brotherly Islamic Republic of Iran.' Oman, the main mediator between the U.S. and Iran in recent months, said the attacks were 'unacceptable and ongoing aggressive behaviour that undermines the foundations of stability in the region,' according to a statement by the country's foreign ministry. In a statement, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for 'maximum restraint' to avoid 'descent into deeper conflict." Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
