Iran strikes back at Israel with missile barrage
Iran has launched retaliatory air strikes at Israel, with explosions heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv following Israel's biggest-ever military strike against its longstanding enemy.
Air raid sirens sounded across Israel on Friday as authorities urged the public to take shelter.
Missiles were seen over Tel Aviv's skyline, with the military saying Iran had fired two salvos.
Israel's military said Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles and most were intercepted or fell short.
The US military helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel, two US officials said.
Israel's Channel 12 said two people were critically injured, eight moderately and 34 slightly from shrapnel.
Several buildings were struck in the attack.
The Israeli strikes on Iran and the Iranian retaliation raised fears of a broader regional conflagration, although Iran's allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been decimated by Israel.
Iranian state news agency IRNA said Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel after Israel blasted Iran's huge Natanz underground nuclear site and killed its top military commanders.
Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, while Western countries have long accused Iran of refining uranium at Natanz to levels suitable for a bomb rather than civilian use.
The above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz had been destroyed, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council on Friday.
He said the UN was still gathering information about Israeli attacks on two other facilities, the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and at Isfahan.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of starting a war, and a senior Iranian official warned that revenge would be painful.
Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people, including senior military officials, were killed in Israel's strikes on Iran and more than 320 people were wounded, most of them civilians.
He accused the US of being complicit in the attacks and said it shared full responsibility for the consequences.
Israel's operation "will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a TV address.
"Generations from now, history will record our generation stood its ground, acted in time and secured our common future."
Netanyahu, who for decades has raised the alarm about Iran's nuclear program, said he authorised the assault to prevent Iran building nuclear weapons - an objective Tehran denies.
Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said intelligence had confirmed that within days Iran would have produced enough fissile material for multiple bombs.
Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only.
The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that it was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty.
US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the Israeli bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear program.
Tehran had been in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program to replace one that Trump abandoned in 2018.
Tehran rejected the last US offer.
The price of crude leaped on fears of wider retaliatory attacks across the oil-producing region.
In a phone interview with Reuters, Trump said nuclear talks between Tehran and the United States, scheduled for Sunday, were still on the agenda though he was not sure if they would take place.
"We knew everything," Trump said of the Israeli attack plans.
"I tried to save Iran humiliation and death. I tried to save them very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out," Trump said.
Two regional sources said at least 20 Iranian military commanders were killed, a stunning decapitation reminiscent of Israeli attacks that swiftly wiped out the leadership of Lebanon's once-feared Hezbollah militia in 2024.
Iran also said six of its top nuclear scientists had been killed.
Among the generals killed were the armed forces chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, and the Revolutionary Guards chief, Hossein Salami.
Iran has launched retaliatory air strikes at Israel, with explosions heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv following Israel's biggest-ever military strike against its longstanding enemy.
Air raid sirens sounded across Israel on Friday as authorities urged the public to take shelter.
Missiles were seen over Tel Aviv's skyline, with the military saying Iran had fired two salvos.
Israel's military said Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles and most were intercepted or fell short.
The US military helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel, two US officials said.
Israel's Channel 12 said two people were critically injured, eight moderately and 34 slightly from shrapnel.
Several buildings were struck in the attack.
The Israeli strikes on Iran and the Iranian retaliation raised fears of a broader regional conflagration, although Iran's allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been decimated by Israel.
Iranian state news agency IRNA said Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel after Israel blasted Iran's huge Natanz underground nuclear site and killed its top military commanders.
Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, while Western countries have long accused Iran of refining uranium at Natanz to levels suitable for a bomb rather than civilian use.
The above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz had been destroyed, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council on Friday.
He said the UN was still gathering information about Israeli attacks on two other facilities, the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and at Isfahan.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of starting a war, and a senior Iranian official warned that revenge would be painful.
Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people, including senior military officials, were killed in Israel's strikes on Iran and more than 320 people were wounded, most of them civilians.
He accused the US of being complicit in the attacks and said it shared full responsibility for the consequences.
Israel's operation "will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a TV address.
"Generations from now, history will record our generation stood its ground, acted in time and secured our common future."
Netanyahu, who for decades has raised the alarm about Iran's nuclear program, said he authorised the assault to prevent Iran building nuclear weapons - an objective Tehran denies.
Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said intelligence had confirmed that within days Iran would have produced enough fissile material for multiple bombs.
Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only.
The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that it was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty.
US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the Israeli bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear program.
Tehran had been in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program to replace one that Trump abandoned in 2018.
Tehran rejected the last US offer.
The price of crude leaped on fears of wider retaliatory attacks across the oil-producing region.
In a phone interview with Reuters, Trump said nuclear talks between Tehran and the United States, scheduled for Sunday, were still on the agenda though he was not sure if they would take place.
"We knew everything," Trump said of the Israeli attack plans.
"I tried to save Iran humiliation and death. I tried to save them very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out," Trump said.
Two regional sources said at least 20 Iranian military commanders were killed, a stunning decapitation reminiscent of Israeli attacks that swiftly wiped out the leadership of Lebanon's once-feared Hezbollah militia in 2024.
Iran also said six of its top nuclear scientists had been killed.
Among the generals killed were the armed forces chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, and the Revolutionary Guards chief, Hossein Salami.
Iran has launched retaliatory air strikes at Israel, with explosions heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv following Israel's biggest-ever military strike against its longstanding enemy.
Air raid sirens sounded across Israel on Friday as authorities urged the public to take shelter.
Missiles were seen over Tel Aviv's skyline, with the military saying Iran had fired two salvos.
Israel's military said Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles and most were intercepted or fell short.
The US military helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel, two US officials said.
Israel's Channel 12 said two people were critically injured, eight moderately and 34 slightly from shrapnel.
Several buildings were struck in the attack.
The Israeli strikes on Iran and the Iranian retaliation raised fears of a broader regional conflagration, although Iran's allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been decimated by Israel.
Iranian state news agency IRNA said Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel after Israel blasted Iran's huge Natanz underground nuclear site and killed its top military commanders.
Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, while Western countries have long accused Iran of refining uranium at Natanz to levels suitable for a bomb rather than civilian use.
The above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz had been destroyed, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council on Friday.
He said the UN was still gathering information about Israeli attacks on two other facilities, the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and at Isfahan.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of starting a war, and a senior Iranian official warned that revenge would be painful.
Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people, including senior military officials, were killed in Israel's strikes on Iran and more than 320 people were wounded, most of them civilians.
He accused the US of being complicit in the attacks and said it shared full responsibility for the consequences.
Israel's operation "will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a TV address.
"Generations from now, history will record our generation stood its ground, acted in time and secured our common future."
Netanyahu, who for decades has raised the alarm about Iran's nuclear program, said he authorised the assault to prevent Iran building nuclear weapons - an objective Tehran denies.
Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said intelligence had confirmed that within days Iran would have produced enough fissile material for multiple bombs.
Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only.
The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that it was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty.
US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the Israeli bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear program.
Tehran had been in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program to replace one that Trump abandoned in 2018.
Tehran rejected the last US offer.
The price of crude leaped on fears of wider retaliatory attacks across the oil-producing region.
In a phone interview with Reuters, Trump said nuclear talks between Tehran and the United States, scheduled for Sunday, were still on the agenda though he was not sure if they would take place.
"We knew everything," Trump said of the Israeli attack plans.
"I tried to save Iran humiliation and death. I tried to save them very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out," Trump said.
Two regional sources said at least 20 Iranian military commanders were killed, a stunning decapitation reminiscent of Israeli attacks that swiftly wiped out the leadership of Lebanon's once-feared Hezbollah militia in 2024.
Iran also said six of its top nuclear scientists had been killed.
Among the generals killed were the armed forces chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, and the Revolutionary Guards chief, Hossein Salami.
Iran has launched retaliatory air strikes at Israel, with explosions heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv following Israel's biggest-ever military strike against its longstanding enemy.
Air raid sirens sounded across Israel on Friday as authorities urged the public to take shelter.
Missiles were seen over Tel Aviv's skyline, with the military saying Iran had fired two salvos.
Israel's military said Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles and most were intercepted or fell short.
The US military helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel, two US officials said.
Israel's Channel 12 said two people were critically injured, eight moderately and 34 slightly from shrapnel.
Several buildings were struck in the attack.
The Israeli strikes on Iran and the Iranian retaliation raised fears of a broader regional conflagration, although Iran's allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been decimated by Israel.
Iranian state news agency IRNA said Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel after Israel blasted Iran's huge Natanz underground nuclear site and killed its top military commanders.
Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, while Western countries have long accused Iran of refining uranium at Natanz to levels suitable for a bomb rather than civilian use.
The above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz had been destroyed, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council on Friday.
He said the UN was still gathering information about Israeli attacks on two other facilities, the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and at Isfahan.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of starting a war, and a senior Iranian official warned that revenge would be painful.
Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people, including senior military officials, were killed in Israel's strikes on Iran and more than 320 people were wounded, most of them civilians.
He accused the US of being complicit in the attacks and said it shared full responsibility for the consequences.
Israel's operation "will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a TV address.
"Generations from now, history will record our generation stood its ground, acted in time and secured our common future."
Netanyahu, who for decades has raised the alarm about Iran's nuclear program, said he authorised the assault to prevent Iran building nuclear weapons - an objective Tehran denies.
Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said intelligence had confirmed that within days Iran would have produced enough fissile material for multiple bombs.
Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only.
The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that it was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty.
US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the Israeli bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear program.
Tehran had been in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program to replace one that Trump abandoned in 2018.
Tehran rejected the last US offer.
The price of crude leaped on fears of wider retaliatory attacks across the oil-producing region.
In a phone interview with Reuters, Trump said nuclear talks between Tehran and the United States, scheduled for Sunday, were still on the agenda though he was not sure if they would take place.
"We knew everything," Trump said of the Israeli attack plans.
"I tried to save Iran humiliation and death. I tried to save them very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out," Trump said.
Two regional sources said at least 20 Iranian military commanders were killed, a stunning decapitation reminiscent of Israeli attacks that swiftly wiped out the leadership of Lebanon's once-feared Hezbollah militia in 2024.
Iran also said six of its top nuclear scientists had been killed.
Among the generals killed were the armed forces chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, and the Revolutionary Guards chief, Hossein Salami.
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The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
'Tehran will burn', Israel warns Iran after attacks
Israel's defence minister says "Tehran will burn" if Iran continues firing missiles after at least three people died and dozens were wounded in retaliation to Israeli air strikes on cities, military sites and nuclear facilities. In Tehran, Iranian state TV reported that around 60 people, including 20 children, had been killed in an attack on a housing complex. In Israel, air raid sirens sent residents into shelters as waves of missiles streaked across the sky and interceptors rose to meet them, killing at least three people. An Israeli official said Iran had fired around 200 ballistic missiles in four waves. Iranian fire struck residential districts in Israel and Defence Minister Israel Katz said Iran's leadership had crossed a red line. "If (Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front, Tehran will burn," he said in a statement. Iran had vowed to avenge Friday's Israeli onslaught, which gutted Iran's nuclear and military leadership and damaged atomic plants and military bases, killing 78 people including civilians according to Iran's UN envoy. Tehran warned Israel's allies their regional military bases would come under fire too if they help shoot down Iranian missiles, Iranian state television reported. Iran's overnight fusillade included hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones, an Israeli official said. Three people, including a man and a woman, were killed and dozens wounded, the ambulance service said. In Rishon LeZion, south of Tel Aviv, emergency services rescued a baby girl trapped in a house hit by a missile, police said. Video showed teams searching through the rubble of one home. And in the western suburb of Ramat Gan, near Ben Gurion airport, Linda Grinfeld described her apartment being damaged: "We were sitting in the shelter, and then we heard such a boom. It was awful." The Israeli military said it had intercepted surface-to-surface Iranian missiles as well as drones, and that two rockets had been fired from Gaza. With Iran's air defences heavily damaged, Israeli Air Force chief Tomer Bar said "the road to Iran has been paved". In preparation for possible further escalation, reservists were being deployed across Israel. Army Radio reported units had been positioned along the Lebanese and Jordanian borders. In Iran, explosions were heard overnight across the capital, state media reported. Fars News agency said two projectiles had hit Mehraband airport, located inside the capital, which is both civilian and military. State television reported that a 14-storey housing complex, Shahid Chamran, had been flattened by a missile. It said 60 people had been killed, though there was no immediate official confirmation. Israel's military did not immediately comment on that report. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people had been killed in Israel's strikes on Friday and more than 320 wounded, most of them civilians. Israel sees Iran's nuclear program as a threat to its existence, and said the bombing campaign was designed to avert the last steps to production of a nuclear weapon - even though US intelligence says it has seen no sign that this is imminent. Israeli UN envoy Danny Danon called the strikes "an act of national preservation". A military official on Saturday said Israel had killed nine Iranian nuclear scientists, and that the damage to the nuclear facilities at Esfahan and Natanz would take "more than a few weeks" to repair. Tehran insists the program is entirely civilian in line with its obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and that it does not seek an atomic bomb. However, it has repeatedly hidden parts of its programme from international inspectors, and the International Atomic Energy Agency has reported it in violation of the NPT. with AP Israel's defence minister says "Tehran will burn" if Iran continues firing missiles after at least three people died and dozens were wounded in retaliation to Israeli air strikes on cities, military sites and nuclear facilities. In Tehran, Iranian state TV reported that around 60 people, including 20 children, had been killed in an attack on a housing complex. In Israel, air raid sirens sent residents into shelters as waves of missiles streaked across the sky and interceptors rose to meet them, killing at least three people. An Israeli official said Iran had fired around 200 ballistic missiles in four waves. Iranian fire struck residential districts in Israel and Defence Minister Israel Katz said Iran's leadership had crossed a red line. "If (Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front, Tehran will burn," he said in a statement. Iran had vowed to avenge Friday's Israeli onslaught, which gutted Iran's nuclear and military leadership and damaged atomic plants and military bases, killing 78 people including civilians according to Iran's UN envoy. Tehran warned Israel's allies their regional military bases would come under fire too if they help shoot down Iranian missiles, Iranian state television reported. Iran's overnight fusillade included hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones, an Israeli official said. Three people, including a man and a woman, were killed and dozens wounded, the ambulance service said. In Rishon LeZion, south of Tel Aviv, emergency services rescued a baby girl trapped in a house hit by a missile, police said. Video showed teams searching through the rubble of one home. And in the western suburb of Ramat Gan, near Ben Gurion airport, Linda Grinfeld described her apartment being damaged: "We were sitting in the shelter, and then we heard such a boom. It was awful." The Israeli military said it had intercepted surface-to-surface Iranian missiles as well as drones, and that two rockets had been fired from Gaza. With Iran's air defences heavily damaged, Israeli Air Force chief Tomer Bar said "the road to Iran has been paved". In preparation for possible further escalation, reservists were being deployed across Israel. Army Radio reported units had been positioned along the Lebanese and Jordanian borders. In Iran, explosions were heard overnight across the capital, state media reported. Fars News agency said two projectiles had hit Mehraband airport, located inside the capital, which is both civilian and military. State television reported that a 14-storey housing complex, Shahid Chamran, had been flattened by a missile. It said 60 people had been killed, though there was no immediate official confirmation. Israel's military did not immediately comment on that report. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people had been killed in Israel's strikes on Friday and more than 320 wounded, most of them civilians. Israel sees Iran's nuclear program as a threat to its existence, and said the bombing campaign was designed to avert the last steps to production of a nuclear weapon - even though US intelligence says it has seen no sign that this is imminent. Israeli UN envoy Danny Danon called the strikes "an act of national preservation". A military official on Saturday said Israel had killed nine Iranian nuclear scientists, and that the damage to the nuclear facilities at Esfahan and Natanz would take "more than a few weeks" to repair. Tehran insists the program is entirely civilian in line with its obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and that it does not seek an atomic bomb. However, it has repeatedly hidden parts of its programme from international inspectors, and the International Atomic Energy Agency has reported it in violation of the NPT. with AP Israel's defence minister says "Tehran will burn" if Iran continues firing missiles after at least three people died and dozens were wounded in retaliation to Israeli air strikes on cities, military sites and nuclear facilities. In Tehran, Iranian state TV reported that around 60 people, including 20 children, had been killed in an attack on a housing complex. In Israel, air raid sirens sent residents into shelters as waves of missiles streaked across the sky and interceptors rose to meet them, killing at least three people. An Israeli official said Iran had fired around 200 ballistic missiles in four waves. Iranian fire struck residential districts in Israel and Defence Minister Israel Katz said Iran's leadership had crossed a red line. "If (Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front, Tehran will burn," he said in a statement. Iran had vowed to avenge Friday's Israeli onslaught, which gutted Iran's nuclear and military leadership and damaged atomic plants and military bases, killing 78 people including civilians according to Iran's UN envoy. Tehran warned Israel's allies their regional military bases would come under fire too if they help shoot down Iranian missiles, Iranian state television reported. Iran's overnight fusillade included hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones, an Israeli official said. Three people, including a man and a woman, were killed and dozens wounded, the ambulance service said. In Rishon LeZion, south of Tel Aviv, emergency services rescued a baby girl trapped in a house hit by a missile, police said. Video showed teams searching through the rubble of one home. And in the western suburb of Ramat Gan, near Ben Gurion airport, Linda Grinfeld described her apartment being damaged: "We were sitting in the shelter, and then we heard such a boom. It was awful." The Israeli military said it had intercepted surface-to-surface Iranian missiles as well as drones, and that two rockets had been fired from Gaza. With Iran's air defences heavily damaged, Israeli Air Force chief Tomer Bar said "the road to Iran has been paved". In preparation for possible further escalation, reservists were being deployed across Israel. Army Radio reported units had been positioned along the Lebanese and Jordanian borders. In Iran, explosions were heard overnight across the capital, state media reported. Fars News agency said two projectiles had hit Mehraband airport, located inside the capital, which is both civilian and military. State television reported that a 14-storey housing complex, Shahid Chamran, had been flattened by a missile. It said 60 people had been killed, though there was no immediate official confirmation. Israel's military did not immediately comment on that report. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people had been killed in Israel's strikes on Friday and more than 320 wounded, most of them civilians. Israel sees Iran's nuclear program as a threat to its existence, and said the bombing campaign was designed to avert the last steps to production of a nuclear weapon - even though US intelligence says it has seen no sign that this is imminent. Israeli UN envoy Danny Danon called the strikes "an act of national preservation". A military official on Saturday said Israel had killed nine Iranian nuclear scientists, and that the damage to the nuclear facilities at Esfahan and Natanz would take "more than a few weeks" to repair. Tehran insists the program is entirely civilian in line with its obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and that it does not seek an atomic bomb. However, it has repeatedly hidden parts of its programme from international inspectors, and the International Atomic Energy Agency has reported it in violation of the NPT. with AP Israel's defence minister says "Tehran will burn" if Iran continues firing missiles after at least three people died and dozens were wounded in retaliation to Israeli air strikes on cities, military sites and nuclear facilities. In Tehran, Iranian state TV reported that around 60 people, including 20 children, had been killed in an attack on a housing complex. In Israel, air raid sirens sent residents into shelters as waves of missiles streaked across the sky and interceptors rose to meet them, killing at least three people. An Israeli official said Iran had fired around 200 ballistic missiles in four waves. Iranian fire struck residential districts in Israel and Defence Minister Israel Katz said Iran's leadership had crossed a red line. "If (Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front, Tehran will burn," he said in a statement. Iran had vowed to avenge Friday's Israeli onslaught, which gutted Iran's nuclear and military leadership and damaged atomic plants and military bases, killing 78 people including civilians according to Iran's UN envoy. Tehran warned Israel's allies their regional military bases would come under fire too if they help shoot down Iranian missiles, Iranian state television reported. Iran's overnight fusillade included hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones, an Israeli official said. Three people, including a man and a woman, were killed and dozens wounded, the ambulance service said. In Rishon LeZion, south of Tel Aviv, emergency services rescued a baby girl trapped in a house hit by a missile, police said. Video showed teams searching through the rubble of one home. And in the western suburb of Ramat Gan, near Ben Gurion airport, Linda Grinfeld described her apartment being damaged: "We were sitting in the shelter, and then we heard such a boom. It was awful." The Israeli military said it had intercepted surface-to-surface Iranian missiles as well as drones, and that two rockets had been fired from Gaza. With Iran's air defences heavily damaged, Israeli Air Force chief Tomer Bar said "the road to Iran has been paved". In preparation for possible further escalation, reservists were being deployed across Israel. Army Radio reported units had been positioned along the Lebanese and Jordanian borders. In Iran, explosions were heard overnight across the capital, state media reported. Fars News agency said two projectiles had hit Mehraband airport, located inside the capital, which is both civilian and military. State television reported that a 14-storey housing complex, Shahid Chamran, had been flattened by a missile. It said 60 people had been killed, though there was no immediate official confirmation. Israel's military did not immediately comment on that report. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people had been killed in Israel's strikes on Friday and more than 320 wounded, most of them civilians. Israel sees Iran's nuclear program as a threat to its existence, and said the bombing campaign was designed to avert the last steps to production of a nuclear weapon - even though US intelligence says it has seen no sign that this is imminent. Israeli UN envoy Danny Danon called the strikes "an act of national preservation". A military official on Saturday said Israel had killed nine Iranian nuclear scientists, and that the damage to the nuclear facilities at Esfahan and Natanz would take "more than a few weeks" to repair. Tehran insists the program is entirely civilian in line with its obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and that it does not seek an atomic bomb. However, it has repeatedly hidden parts of its programme from international inspectors, and the International Atomic Energy Agency has reported it in violation of the NPT. with AP
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
Iran threatens full blown war with deadly reply and chilling warning to other countries who defend Israel
Iran has launched deadly missile strikes on Israel followed by a chilling warning that it will target any countries who try to defend the Jewish state. The retaliatory action on Saturday killed at least three people and wounded dozens after Friday's blistering Israeli attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear program. 'New round of Honest Promise 3 attacks,' Tehran's state television reported, referring to the name of the military operation. It came as a senior Iranian official said the nation would broaden the war if other countries got involved. 'Any country that attempts to defend the regime against Iran's operations will, in turn, see its regional bases and positions become new targets.' In response, Israel's defence minister Israel Katz warned Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that 'Tehran will burn' if it keeps firing missiles at Israeli civilians. Air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem early on Saturday, sending residents rushing into shelters as successive waves of Iranian missiles streaked across the skies. A man and a woman were killed in Israel and dozens wounded by a missile that landed near their homes, Israel's ambulance service said. Rescue teams were searching the rubble of apartment buildings that were destroyed in Rishon Lezion, a city outside of Tel Aviv where another person is believed to have died. Mr Katz said the Iranian leadership had crossed a red line by firing at civilians and will 'pay a heavy price for it'. In Iran, several explosions were heard in the capital Tehran. The Fars news agency said two projectiles hit Tehran's Mehrabad airport, which hosts an air force base. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people, including senior military officials, have been killed in Israel's strikes on Iran and more than 320 wounded, most of them civilians. Tehran launched waves of air strikes on Saturday after two salvoes on Friday night, Fars reported. One of the waves targeted Tel Aviv, Israel's commercial hub, before dawn, with explosions heard as far as Jerusalem, witnesses said. Those were in response to Israel's original attacks on Iran early on Friday against commanders, nuclear scientists, military targets and nuclear sites. The US military helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel on Friday, two US officials said. Israel's military said Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles on Friday and most were intercepted or fell short. But several buildings in and around Tel Aviv were hit. The Israeli strikes on Iran throughout the day and the Iranian retaliation raised fears of a broader regional conflagration, although Iran's allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been decimated by Israel. Iran's state news agency IRNA said Israel's strikes on Friday had hit the country's huge Natanz underground nuclear site and killed its top military commanders. UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council that the above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz had also been destroyed. He said the UN was still gathering information about Israeli attacks on the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and a facility at Isfahan. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of starting a war, and a senior Iranian official said revenge would be painful. Iran accused the US of being complicit in the attacks and said it shared full responsibility for the consequences. US officials said that American air defence systems and navy assets in the Middle East helped Israel shoot down incoming ballistic missiles. The US has both ground-based Patriot missile defence systems and Terminal High Altitude Area Defence systems in the region capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. Naval assets also were involved in assisting Israel on Friday as Iran fired missiles at Tel Aviv, one official said. The United States also is shifting military resources, including ships, in the Middle East in response to the strikes. Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said intelligence had confirmed that within days Iran would have produced enough fissile material for multiple bombs. He called Israel's operation 'an act of national preservation'. Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that Iran was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty. US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the Israeli bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear program. Tehran had been in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program to replace one that Mr Trump abandoned in 2018. Tehran rejected the last US offer. Talks are due to resume in Oman on Sunday but Iran signalled it might not join. Dialogue with the US over Iran's nuclear program is 'meaningless', Tehran said, accusing Washington of supporting Friday's attack. 'The other side (the US) acted in a way that makes dialogue meaningless. You cannot claim to negotiate and at the same time divide work by allowing the Zionist regime (Israel) to target Iran's territory,' foreign ministry spokes-person Esmaeil Baghaei was quoted as saying on the semi-official Tasnim news agency. He said Israel 'succeeded in influencing' the diplomatic process and Friday's Israeli attack would not have happened without Washington's permission. Iran denies that its uranium enrichment program is for anything other than civilian purposes, continually rejecting Israeli allegations that it is secretly developing nuclear weapons. Mr Trump admitted on Fox News that he and his team had known the Israeli attacks were coming but they still saw room for an accord. Global leaders have called for de-escalation of the conflict including UN chief Antonio Guterres. 'Israeli bombardment of Iranian nuclear sites, Iranian missile strikes in Tel Aviv, enough escalation,' Mr Guterres said. 'Time to stop. Peace and diplomacy must prevail.'
AU Financial Review
5 hours ago
- AU Financial Review
A big miscalculation by Iran led to severe toll
Iran's senior leaders had been planning for more than a week for an Israeli attack should nuclear talks with the United States fail. But they made one enormous miscalculation. They never expected Israel to strike before another round of talks that had been scheduled for this coming Sunday in Oman, officials close to Iran's leadership said Friday. They dismissed reports that an attack was imminent as Israeli propaganda meant to pressure Iran to make concessions on its nuclear program in those talks.
