Iran's retaliatory strike impacts Israeli civilians; 'our fight is not with you,' Netanyahu reacts
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement after air raid sirens sounded across Israel as Iranian missiles struck the country in retaliation for deadly Israeli attacks on nuclear sites and military leaders. The rumble of explosions could be heard throughout Jerusalem on Friday, as video showed plumes of smoke rising in Tel Aviv after an apparent missile strike.
Show more
Show less
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
27 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Iran did not anticipate Israeli attack before nuclear talks with US: Report
Iran's top leadership had been preparing for a potential Israeli attack if nuclear talks with the US failed, but made a key misjudgment – they did not expect Israel to strike before the next round of talks, scheduled for Sunday in Oman, The New York Times report said citing officials close to Iran's leadership. They believed Israeli warnings of imminent strikes were propaganda aimed at pressuring Iran into nuclear concessions. As a result, planned safety measures were reportedly ignored. On the night of the strikes, senior commanders, including Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) aerospace unit, stayed in their homes instead of seeking shelter. Hajizadeh and top aides were killed during an emergency war meeting at a Tehran base hit by Israel, The NYT report added. With Israeli PM Netanyahu warning that the offensive may last weeks and calling on Iranians to rise against their clerical rulers, fears of a wider regional conflict are mounting. Israel sees Iran's nuclear programme as an existential threat, claiming the strikes were necessary to prevent Iran from reaching the final stage of building a nuclear weapon. Iran insists its programme is peaceful, though the UN nuclear watchdog recently reported that Tehran had violated non-proliferation obligations. Israel's strikes severely damaged Iran's defence systems, dismantling key radars and air defenses, crippling its ballistic missile access, and killing senior military leaders. Private messages obtained by The New York Times revealed Iranian officials expressing frustration over the failure to detect or stop the assault. 'Where is our air defense?' and 'How can Israel come and attack anything it wants, kill our top commanders, and we are incapable of stopping it?' some wrote. The NYT further quoted Hamid Hosseini, a government-aligned member of Iran's Chamber of Commerce, as saying that the attacks exposed critical weaknesses. 'Israel's attack completely caught the leadership by surprise, especially the killing of top military figures and nuclear scientists. It also exposed our lack of proper air defense and their ability to bombard our critical sites and military bases with no resistance,' he said. Hosseini added that Israel's ability to smuggle missile parts and drones into Iran hinted at a deep infiltration of Iran's security apparatus. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had been moved to a secure location, declared in a televised address: 'They should not think they attacked and it is over. No, they started it. They started the war. We will not allow them to escape from this crime unharmed.' In response, Iran launched multiple missile waves targeting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Earlier, Khamenei told Iran's Supreme National Security Council that he wanted revenge but urged caution, saying he 'did not want to act hastily,' according to officials familiar with the meeting, as quoted in the report.
Hindustan Times
35 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Donald Trump warns Iran: ‘Full might of US military will come down on you if…'
US President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Tehran as hostilities escalated between Israel and Iran with fresh overnight attacks. Trump threatened to launch 'full strength and might' of US military, if Iran were to target American assets. Distancing the Washington from Israel's military strikes Trump cautioned Iran, saying, 'If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the US armed forces will come down on you at levels never seen before,' he said in a message posted on Truth Social. He also suggested that a diplomatic resolution was possible. 'However, we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict,' Trump said, though he did not elaborate on the terms of any potential agreement. The warning came amid intense fighting between Israel and Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu further raised fears of broader escalation, saying, 'What Iran has seen so far is nothing compared with what is coming in the next days." Israel's military also warned Iranians residing near nuclear facilities to evacuate immediately, raising fears of a broader escalation. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araqchi accused Israel of launching attacks to derail nuclear negotiations with the US set to resume in Oman on Sunday. Araqchi further said that Israel's actions are clearly supported by the US, and Iran is only exercising its right to self-defence, reported Reuters. Israel has maintained that the ongoing campaign is aimed at dismantling Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions and neutralizing its ballistic missile infrastructure. Officials acknowledged that airstrikes alone are unlikely to completely halt Iran's nuclear programme, but said that the offensive might lay the groundwork for a broader diplomatic settlement involving the US and Iran. Tehran claimed that 78 people were killed on the first day of Israeli strikes, with many more casualties reported on the second. Among the dead were 60 civilians, including 29 children, killed when a missile flattened a 14-storey apartment building in Tehran. The latest barrage of Iranian missiles targeting Israel began late Saturday night, with sirens sounding in Jerusalem and Haifa around 11 PM local time. In a notable expansion of the conflict, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for launching several ballistic missiles at central Israel's Jaffa on Sunday — marking the first time a regional Iranian ally had entered the conflict, according to news agency Reuters. Iran has warned that military bases belonging to Israel's allies in the region will also be targeted if they assist in intercepting Iranian missiles.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
'Where's Our Air Defence?': How Iran's Miscalculation Let Israel Assert Military Dominance
Last Updated: Israel launched massive air strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities on Friday and also eliminated top military officials and nuclear scientists. Israel-Iran conflict: Iran did not expect Israel to launch strikes on Tehran's nuclear facilities before the sixth round of US-Iran talks, which was earlier scheduled for Sunday in Oman, The New York Times reported, citing officials close to the country's leadership. The NYT report revealed private text messages between senior Iranian officials, in which they asked one another, 'Where is our air defense?" and 'How can Israel come and attack anything it wants, kill our top commanders, and we are incapable of stopping it?" Iran Miscalculated Israel's Offensive: Report Though Iran was well aware of the preparations being carried out by Israel for a possible attack on Tehran's nuclear facilities, it did not expect Jerusalem to strike while the negotiations with the US regarding the nuclear programme were still underway. This allowed for the exceptional success of the Israeli operation launched on early Friday morning, the report said. 🚨Millions of Israelis are currently running for shelter as sirens sound in the following cities and communities around Israel:Jerusalem, Ashdod, Kfar Ruppin, Maoz Haim, Neve Eitan, Ganey Hugg', Beit She'an, Hamadia, Ein HaNatziv, Kfar Ruppin, Maoz Haim, Neve Eitan, Sdeh… — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 14, 2025 The Iran-US talks hang in limbo as Tehran has indicated that it is likely to cancel the negotiations amid full-blown military action against Israel. NYT report said. The officials told the newspaper that the complacency of the leadership may have stopped them from taking any preemptive precautions against an Israeli attack. The instance of this was that the senior Iranian military commanders stayed in their private residences on the night when Israeli forces conducted the strikes, instead of taking shelter in the safe shelters. This allowed Israel to take down senior Iranian officials, including Revolutionary Guards chief Hossein Salami and Armed Forces chief Mohammad Hossein Bagheri. Several scientists involved in Iran's nuclear programme were also killed in the strikes. In another instance of oversight by Iran, Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Aerospace Forces, convened an emergency war meeting of senior officials, prompting Israel to eliminate all of them at once in a single bombing. 'Israel's Attack Caught Leadership By Surprise': Official The top officials were also questioned about what failures in the intelligence and defence systems led Iran not to foresee the Israeli offensive. 'Israel's attack completely caught the leadership by surprise, especially the killing of the top military figures and nuclear scientists," said Hamid Hosseini, a member of Iran's Chamber of Commerce's energy committee, in a phone call with the NYT from Iran. 'It also exposed our lack of proper air defense and their ability to bombard our critical sites and military bases with no resistance," he added. Hosseini confessed that the Iranian officials were shocked by Israel's ability to infiltrate Iran's military and security apparatus. What Did Khamenei Say On Attack? The report also mentioned two Iranian officials who were aware of the discussions that took place after the attacks, led by Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In those talks, Khamenei said he wanted revenge against Israel but didn't want to rush into action. According to the officials, there were disagreements among Iran's leadership about how to respond. Some were concerned about whether Iran could handle a long war with Israel, especially if the US got involved and given the damage Israel had already done to Iran's missile systems and defense capabilities. An official at the meeting reportedly said that if Israel launched an attack on Iran's energy or water infrastructure, it may lead to riots in the country. An IRGC member who was informed about the meeting told The NYT that the officials realised Ayatollah Khamenei was facing a tough choice: either go for an all-out war, which could put his decades-long rule at risk, or pull back, which would be seen as a sign of defeat both inside Iran and on the global stage. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : iran israel Location : Israel First Published: June 15, 2025, 09:57 IST News world 'Where's Our Air Defence?': How Iran's Miscalculation Let Israel Assert Military Dominance
