Israel bombarded by Iranian missiles after strikes on Tehran's nuclear bases
©Press Association
Iran bombarded Tel Aviv with hundreds of missiles overnight in retaliation for Israeli strikes on its nuclear bases.
Calls from several world leaders for calm amid the mounting conflict appeared to fall on deaf ears, as Tehran struck back against Israel's attacks.
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Irish Examiner
7 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Zelensky warns oil price surge could help Russia's war effort in Ukraine
A sharp rise in global oil prices after Israeli strikes on Iran will benefit Russia and bolster its military capabilities in the war in Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky has said. The Ukrainian president told journalists in Kyiv that the surge in oil prices threatens Ukraine's position on the battlefield, especially because western allies have not enforced effective price caps on Russian oil exports. 'The strikes led to a sharp increase in the price of oil, which is negative for us,' Mr Zelensky said. 'The Russians are getting stronger due to greater income from oil exports.' Global oil prices rose as much as 7% after Israel and Iran exchanged attacks over the past 48 hours, raising concerns that further escalation could disrupt oil exports from the Middle East. We would like aid to Ukraine not to decrease because of this. Last time, this was a factor that slowed down aid to Ukraine. Mr Zelensky said he planned to raise the issue in a conversation with US President Donald Trump. 'In the near future, I will be in contact with the American side, I think with the president, and we will raise this issue,' he said. He also expressed concern that US military aid could be diverted away from Ukraine towards Israel during renewed tensions in the Middle East. 'We would like aid to Ukraine not to decrease because of this,' he said. 'Last time, this was a factor that slowed down aid to Ukraine.' Ukraine's military needs have been sidelined by the US in favour of supporting Israel, Mr Zelensky said, citing a shipment of 20,000 interceptor missiles, designed to counter Iran-made Shahed drones, which had been intended for Ukraine but were redirected to Israel. 'And for us it was a blow,' he said. 'When you face 300 to 400 drones a day, most are shot down or go off course, but some get through. We were counting on those missiles.' An air defence system, Barak-8, promised to Ukraine by Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu was sent to the US for repairs but never delivered to Ukraine, he added. The Ukrainian president conceded that momentum for the Coalition of the Willing, a group of 31 countries which have pledged to strengthen support for Ukraine against Russian aggression, has slowed because of US ambivalence over providing a backstop. 'This situation has shown that Europe has not yet decided for itself that it will be with Ukraine completely if America is not there,' he said. The offer of a foreign troop 'reassurance force' pledged by the coalition is still on the table 'but they need a backstop, as they say, from America' Mr Zelensky said. 'This means that suddenly, if something happens, America will be with them and with Ukraine.' The Ukrainian president also said the presence of foreign contingents in Ukraine would act as a security guarantee and allow Kyiv to make territorial compromises, which is the first time he has articulated a link between the reassurance force and concessions Kyiv is willing to make in negotiations with Russia. 'It is simply that their presence gives us the opportunity to compromise, when we can say that today our state does not have the strength to take our territories within the borders of 1991,' he said. But Europe and Ukraine are still waiting on strong signals from Mr Trump. Without major US sanctions against Russia, 'I will tell you frankly, it will be very difficult for us', Mr Zelensky said, adding that it would then fall on Europe to step up military aid to Ukraine. In other developments, Russia repatriated more bodies of fallen soldiers in line with an agreement reached during peace talks in Istanbul between Russian and Ukrainian delegations, Russian officials said on Saturday, cited by Russian state media. The officials said Ukraine did not return any bodies to Russia on Saturday. Ukraine's Co-ordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War confirmed in a statement that Russia had returned 1,200 bodies. The first round of the staggered exchanges took place on Monday. The agreement to exchange prisoners of war and the bodies of soldiers was the only tangible outcome of the talks in Istanbul on June 2. Continuing a renewed battlefield push along eastern and north-eastern parts of the 600-mile front line, the Russian Defence Ministry claimed on Saturday that its troops had captured another village in the Donetsk region, Zelenyi Kut. Russia launched 58 drones and decoys at Ukraine overnight into Saturday, according to the Ukrainian air force, which said its air defences destroyed 23 drones while another 20 were jammed. Russia's Defence Ministry said it shot down 66 Ukrainian drones overnight.
RTÉ News
9 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Israel-Iran conflict: What we know
Israel targeted Iran's air defence capabilities this morning, pressing on with a wave of massive attacks it began a day earlier that targeted Iranian nuclear and military facilities, prompting counterattacks by Iran. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that "Tehran will burn" if Iran fires more missiles at Israel. In a televised address last night, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to bring Israel "to ruin". International calls for restraint are multiplying, as fears grow the Middle East could be on the threshold of a broader conflict. Here is what we know. Targeting air defences Israel's military said this morning it was striking dozens of missile launchers in Iran after announcing it had targeted air defences with a wave of strikes in the Tehran area. The Israeli air force "continues striking dozens of surface-to-surface missile launchers in Iran", the military said in a statement. It said that overnight, the air force "struck dozens of targets, including surface-to-air missile infrastructure, as part of the effort to damage the Iranian regime's aerial defence capabilities in the area of Tehran". Iran's response Israel said dozens of missiles - some intercepted - had been fired in the latest salvos from Iran, with images of the city of Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv showing blown-out buildings, destroyed vehicles and streets strewn with debris. Israeli rescuers said two people were killed and 19 wounded this morning by rocket fire on a residential area in the coastal plain. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had attacked dozens of targets in Israel. Nuclear talks? The fiercest exchange of fire between arch foes Iran and Israel came amid ongoing talks between Tehran and Washington seeking to reach a deal on Iran's nuclear programme. Before the Israeli strikes, they were set to hold a sixth round of negotiations in Oman tomorrow, but Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said: "It is still unclear what decision we will make for Sunday." Tehran has consistently denied seeking to develop a nuclear weapon but had been enriching uranium to 60% - far above the 3.67% limit set by a largely obsolete 2015 agreement with major powers. However, Iran's 60% enrichment level is still short of the 90% threshold needed for a nuclear warhead. More Iranian generals killed Iranian state media reported that General Gholamreza Mehrabi, deputy head of intelligence of the armed forces general staff, and General Mehdi Rabbani, deputy head of operations, "were martyred". Top brass killed yesterday included the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, and armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri, with replacements swiftly named by supreme leader Ali Khamenei. The Revolutionary Guards said its aerospace commander Amirali Hajizadeh was also killed. He was in charge of Iran's ballistic missile arsenal. Iranian media said this morning that three more nuclear scientists were killed, bringing the total to nine - a toll that Israel also reported. Iran's ambassador to the United Nations said 78 people had been killed and 320 wounded in the first wave of strikes by Israel. Nuclear sites hit Israel's attacks started in the early hours of yesterday, a day of rest and prayer in Iran, and continued through the day, at various sites. A key target was a vast underground uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, which Israel hit several times, according to Iranian state television. Israel said another strike late last night on Iran's uranium conversion plant in Isfahan damaged infrastructure for reconverting enriched uranium.
Irish Independent
9 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Israel warns ‘Tehran will burn' if Iran continues firing missiles
Latest | ©Press Association Israel's defence minister has warned that 'Tehran will burn' if Iran continues firing missiles at Israel after at least three people died and dozens were wounded following a series of Israeli attacks on Tehran's nuclear program and its armed forces. Speaking after a meeting with the army's chief of staff, Israel Katz said Iran will pay a heavy price for harming Israeli citizens. Register for free to read this story Register and create a profile to get access to our free stories. You'll also unlock more free stories each week.
