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Time of India
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Conflict Swells, Israel Attacks Iran Gas Field
Iran and Israel traded missiles and airstrikes on Saturday, a day after Israel launched an air offensive, killing commanders and scientists, and bombing nuclear sites in a stated bid to stop it building an atomic weapon. 'If (Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front, Tehran will burn," said Israel Katz, Israeli defence minister. Its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to strike 'every target of the Ayatollah regime,' saying he had 'clear support' of the US. Meanwhile, Iran warned that Israel was pushing the region into a 'dangerous cycle of violence.' An Israeli drone reportedly struck a refinery on Saturday in South Pars, the world's largest natural gas field, causing a 'strong explosion' and a fire later extinguished. This is Israel's first attack on Iran's oil and natural gas industry. Tehran's dialogue with the US, set to resume on Sunday, will not be taking place, said mediator Oman, even as the Kremlin said US President Donald Trump had conveyed to Russian President Vladimir Putin that US negotiators were ready to talk to the Iranians. US officials also stated the same. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said continuing talks is unjustifiable while 'barbarous' attacks persist. Iran reported around 60, including 20 children, killed in an attack on a Tehran housing complex, with more strikes reported. Israel said it had attacked over 150 targets and killed more than 20 Iranian army and Revolutionary Guards commanders, including armed forces chief Mohammad Bagheri. In Israel, air raid sirens sent residents into shelters as waves of missiles streaked in and interceptors rose to meet them. At least three people were killed. An Israeli official said Iran had fired around 200 ballistic missiles in four waves, while Tehran said it had killed a police chief. As per a statement, Türkiye President Erdogan has told the Saudi Arabian crown prince that the attack on Iran demonstrates that Israel under Netanyahu is the greatest threat to regional stability. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi has also held phone calls with his Israeli and Iranian counterparts, Beijing's foreign ministry said. With Israel saying its operation could last weeks, and urging Iran's people to rise up against their Islamic clerical rulers, fears have grown of a regional conflagration dragging in outside powers. The US, Israel's main ally, helped shoot down Iranian missiles, two American officials said. Trump has lauded Israel's strikes and warned of worse unless Iran quickly accepts the sharp downgrading of its nuclear programme that the US has demanded. Tehran warned Israel's allies that their regional military bases would come under fire too if they help shoot down Iranian missiles, Iranian state television reported. However, 20 months of war in Gaza and a conflict in Lebanon last year have decimated Tehran's strongest regional proxies, Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, reducing its options for retaliation. Gulf Arab states that have long mistrusted Iran but fear coming under attack in any wider conflict have urged calm as worries about disruption to the Gulf region's crucial oil exports boosted the price of crude by about 7% on Friday. Iranian general and parliament member Esmail Kosari said the country was seriously reviewing whether to close the Strait of Hormuz, the outlet for oil shipped from the Gulf. Iran's overnight fusillade included hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones, an Israeli official said.
Economic Times
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
US-Iran talks over Tehran's nuclear program won't take place after Israel's surprise attack
Agencies Khameini and Trump The latest U.S.-Iran talks on Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program will not take place Sunday, mediator Oman said Saturday, as Israel and Iran traded blows a day after Israel's blistering attack on Iranian nuclear and military sites. Israel's ongoing "widespread strikes" in Tehran and elsewhere 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. Oman's foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, said on social media the sixth round of indirect nuclear talks on Sunday "will not now take place," adding that "diplomacy and dialogue remain the only pathway to lasting peace." Israel-Iran conflict: Catch all live updates here Although the talks are off for now, "we remain committed to talks and hope the Iranians will come to the table soon," said a senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss diplomacy. Israel and Iran signaled more attacks are coming, despite urgent calls from world leaders to deescalate 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 - widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East - said its hundreds of strikes on Iran over the past two days killed a number of top generals, nine senior scientists and experts involved in Iran's nuclear program. Iran's U.N. ambassador has said 78 people were killed and more than 320 wounded. Iran retaliated by launching waves of drones and ballistic missiles at Israel, where explosions lit the night skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and shook buildings. Israel said three people were killed and over 170 wounded. "If (Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front - Tehran will burn," Defense Minister Israel Katz said. 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 extent of damage at the South Pars natural gas field was not immediately clear. Such sites have air defense systems around them, which Israel has been targeting. Iran calls nuclear talks 'unjustifiable' Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, and U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran was not actively pursuing the bomb. But its uranium enrichment has reached near weapons-grade levels, and on Thursday, the U.N.'s atomic watchdog censured Iran for not complying with obligations meant to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon. 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 U.S. has said it isn't part of the strikes. On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iran to reach a deal with the U.S. on its nuclear program, adding that "Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left." US helps to shoot down Iranian missiles Iran launched waves of missiles at Israel late Friday and early Saturday. Iranians awoke to state television airing repeated clips of the strikes, as well as videos of people cheering and handing out sweets. The Iranian attacks killed at least three people and wounded 174, two of them seriously, Israel said. The military said seven soldiers were lightly wounded when a missile hit central Israel, without specifying where - the first report of Israeli military casualties since the initial Israeli strikes. U.S. ground-based air defense systems in the region were helping to shoot down Iranian missiles, said a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the measures. In Ramat Gan, east of Tel Aviv, an Associated Press journalist saw burned-out cars and at least three damaged houses, including one whose front was nearly entirely torn away. Residents of a central Israeli city hit Friday night, Rishon Lezion, said the explosion was so powerful it shook their shelter door open. "We thought, that's it, the house is gone, and in fact half of the house was gone," said Moshe Shani. Israel's main international airport said it will remain closed until further notice. Indications of a new Israeli attack Israel's army spokesman, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, said Israel had attacked more than 400 targets across Iran, including 40 in Tehran, where dozens of fighter jets were "operating freely." He said it was the deepest point Israel's air force had operated. Defrin said fighter jets struck over 40 "missile-related targets and advanced air defense array systems" across Iran. A governor of Eastern Azerbaijan province in northwestern Iran said 30 troops and a rescuer had been killed there, with 55 others wounded. Gov. Bahram Sarmast's remarks were the latest acknowledgment of mass casualties. Iranian state television reported online that air defenses were firing in the cities of Khorramabad, Kermanshah and Tabriz. Footage from Tabriz showed black smoke rising. The sound of explosions and Iranian air defense systems firing at targets echoed across central Tehran. Iran's semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported a fire at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport. 'More than a few weeks' to repair nuclear facilities Israel attacked Iran's main nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz. Satellite photos analyzed by AP show extensive damage there. The images shot Saturday by Planet Labs PBC show multiple buildings damaged or destroyed. The structures hit include buildings identified by experts as supplying power to the facility. U.N. nuclear chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council that the above-ground section of the Natanz facility was destroyed. The main centrifuge facility underground did not appear to have been hit, but the loss of power could have damaged infrastructure there, he said. Israel said it also struck a nuclear research facility in Isfahan, including "infrastructure for enriched uranium conversion," and said it destroyed dozens of radar installations and surface-to-air missile launchers in western Iran. Iran confirmed the strike at Isfahan. The International Atomic Energy Agency said four "critical buildings" at the Isfahan site were damaged, including its uranium conversion facility. "As in Natanz, no increase in off-site radiation expected," it added. An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with official procedures, said that according to the army's initial assessment "it will take much more than a few weeks" for Iran to repair the damage to the Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites. The official said the army had "concrete intelligence that production in Isfahan was for military purposes." Israel denied it had struck the nuclear enrichment facility in Fordo, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) southeast of Tehran, after an Iranian news outlet close to the government reported the sound of explosions nearby. Netanyahu said the attack had been months in the making and was planned for April before being postponed. Among those killed were three of Iran's top military leaders: one who oversaw the entire armed forces, Gen. Mohammad Bagheri; one who led the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami; and the head of the Guard's aerospace division, which oversees its arsenal of ballistic missile program, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh. On Saturday, Khamenei named a new leader for the Revolutionary Guard's aerospace division: Gen. Majid Mousavi.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
US-Iran talks over Tehran's nuclear program won't take place after Israel's surprise attack
The latest U.S.-Iran talks on Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program will not take place Sunday, mediator Oman said Saturday, as Israel and Iran traded blows a day after Israel's blistering attack on Iranian nuclear and military sites. Israel's ongoing "widespread strikes" in Tehran and elsewhere 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. Oman's foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, said on social media the sixth round of indirect nuclear talks on Sunday "will not now take place," adding that "diplomacy and dialogue remain the only pathway to lasting peace." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why Seniors Are Snapping Up This TV Box, We Explain! Techno Mag Learn More Undo Israel-Iran conflict: Catch all live updates here Although the talks are off for now, "we remain committed to talks and hope the Iranians will come to the table soon," said a senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss diplomacy. Live Events Israel and Iran signaled more attacks are coming, despite urgent calls from world leaders to deescalate 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 - widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East - said its hundreds of strikes on Iran over the past two days killed a number of top generals, nine senior scientists and experts involved in Iran's nuclear program. Iran's U.N. ambassador has said 78 people were killed and more than 320 wounded. Iran retaliated by launching waves of drones and ballistic missiles at Israel, where explosions lit the night skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and shook buildings. Israel said three people were killed and over 170 wounded. "If (Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front - Tehran will burn," Defense Minister Israel Katz said. 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 extent of damage at the South Pars natural gas field was not immediately clear. Such sites have air defense systems around them, which Israel has been targeting. Iran calls nuclear talks 'unjustifiable' Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, and U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran was not actively pursuing the bomb. But its uranium enrichment has reached near weapons-grade levels, and on Thursday, the U.N.'s atomic watchdog censured Iran for not complying with obligations meant to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon. 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 U.S. has said it isn't part of the strikes. On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iran to reach a deal with the U.S. on its nuclear program, adding that "Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left." US helps to shoot down Iranian missiles Iran launched waves of missiles at Israel late Friday and early Saturday. Iranians awoke to state television airing repeated clips of the strikes, as well as videos of people cheering and handing out sweets. The Iranian attacks killed at least three people and wounded 174, two of them seriously, Israel said. The military said seven soldiers were lightly wounded when a missile hit central Israel, without specifying where - the first report of Israeli military casualties since the initial Israeli strikes. U.S. ground-based air defense systems in the region were helping to shoot down Iranian missiles, said a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the measures. In Ramat Gan, east of Tel Aviv, an Associated Press journalist saw burned-out cars and at least three damaged houses, including one whose front was nearly entirely torn away. Residents of a central Israeli city hit Friday night, Rishon Lezion, said the explosion was so powerful it shook their shelter door open. "We thought, that's it, the house is gone, and in fact half of the house was gone," said Moshe Shani. Israel's main international airport said it will remain closed until further notice. Indications of a new Israeli attack Israel's army spokesman, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, said Israel had attacked more than 400 targets across Iran, including 40 in Tehran, where dozens of fighter jets were "operating freely." He said it was the deepest point Israel's air force had operated. Defrin said fighter jets struck over 40 "missile-related targets and advanced air defense array systems" across Iran. A governor of Eastern Azerbaijan province in northwestern Iran said 30 troops and a rescuer had been killed there, with 55 others wounded. Gov. Bahram Sarmast's remarks were the latest acknowledgment of mass casualties. Iranian state television reported online that air defenses were firing in the cities of Khorramabad, Kermanshah and Tabriz. Footage from Tabriz showed black smoke rising. The sound of explosions and Iranian air defense systems firing at targets echoed across central Tehran. Iran's semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported a fire at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport. 'More than a few weeks' to repair nuclear facilities Israel attacked Iran's main nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz. Satellite photos analyzed by AP show extensive damage there. The images shot Saturday by Planet Labs PBC show multiple buildings damaged or destroyed. The structures hit include buildings identified by experts as supplying power to the facility. U.N. nuclear chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council that the above-ground section of the Natanz facility was destroyed. The main centrifuge facility underground did not appear to have been hit, but the loss of power could have damaged infrastructure there, he said. Israel said it also struck a nuclear research facility in Isfahan, including "infrastructure for enriched uranium conversion," and said it destroyed dozens of radar installations and surface-to-air missile launchers in western Iran. Iran confirmed the strike at Isfahan. The International Atomic Energy Agency said four "critical buildings" at the Isfahan site were damaged, including its uranium conversion facility. "As in Natanz, no increase in off-site radiation expected," it added. An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with official procedures, said that according to the army's initial assessment "it will take much more than a few weeks" for Iran to repair the damage to the Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites. The official said the army had "concrete intelligence that production in Isfahan was for military purposes." Israel denied it had struck the nuclear enrichment facility in Fordo, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) southeast of Tehran, after an Iranian news outlet close to the government reported the sound of explosions nearby. Netanyahu said the attack had been months in the making and was planned for April before being postponed. Among those killed were three of Iran's top military leaders: one who oversaw the entire armed forces, Gen. Mohammad Bagheri; one who led the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami; and the head of the Guard's aerospace division, which oversees its arsenal of ballistic missile program, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh. On Saturday, Khamenei named a new leader for the Revolutionary Guard's aerospace division: Gen. Majid Mousavi.
North Wales Chronicle
13 hours ago
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
Israeli military says latest missiles from Iran incoming as explosions heard
Both Israel's military and Iran state television announced the latest round of missiles as explosions were heard overhead in parts of Israel, including Tel Aviv. Israel's military quickly noted that it was currently striking 'military targets' in Tehran. Jordan said it has closed its airspace. Israel's ongoing 'widespread strikes' in Tehran and elsewhere 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. Oman's foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, said on social media the sixth round of indirect nuclear talks on Sunday 'will not now take place', adding that 'diplomacy and dialogue remain the only pathway to lasting peace'. Although the talks are off for now, 'we remain committed to talks and hope the Iranians will come to the table soon', said a senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss diplomacy. Israel and Iran signalled more attacks are coming, despite urgent calls from world leaders to deescalate 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 — widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East — said its hundreds of strikes on Iran over the past two days killed a number of top generals, nine senior scientists and experts involved in Iran's nuclear programme. Iran's UN ambassador has said 78 people were killed and more than 320 wounded. Iran retaliated by launching waves of drones and ballistic missiles at Israel, where explosions lit the night skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and shook buildings. Israel said three people were killed and over 170 wounded. 'If (Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front — Tehran will burn,' defence minister Israel Katz said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has made the destruction of Iran's nuclear programme 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, semi-official 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 extent of damage at the South Pars natural gas field was not immediately clear. Such sites have air defence systems around them, which Israel has been targeting. Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only, and US intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran was not actively pursuing the bomb. But its 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. Iran's top diplomat said on 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', Mr Araghchi said in a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency. The US has said it is not part of the strikes. On Friday, US President Donald Trump urged Iran to reach a deal with the US on its nuclear programme, adding that 'Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left'. – US helps to shoot down Iranian missiles Iran launched waves of missiles at Israel late on Friday and early on Saturday. Iranians awoke to state television airing repeated clips of the strikes, as well as videos of people cheering and handing out sweets. The Iranian attacks killed at least three people and wounded 174, two of them seriously, Israel said. The military said seven soldiers were lightly wounded when a missile hit central Israel, without specifying where — the first report of Israeli military casualties since the initial Israeli strikes. US ground-based air defence systems in the region were helping to shoot down Iranian missiles, said a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the measures. Israel's main international airport said it will remain closed until further notice. – Indications of a new Israeli attack Israel's army spokesman, Brigadier General Effie Defrin, said Israel had attacked more than 400 targets across Iran, including 40 in Tehran, where dozens of fighter jets were 'operating freely'. He said it was the deepest point Israel's air force had operated. Brig Gen Defrin said fighter jets struck over 40 'missile-related targets and advanced air defence array systems' across Iran. A governor of Eastern Azerbaijan province in north-western Iran said 30 troops and a rescuer had been killed there, with 55 others wounded. Governor Bahram Sarmast's remarks were the latest acknowledgment of mass casualties. Iranian state television reported online that air defences were firing in the cities of Khorramabad, Kermanshah and Tabriz. Footage from Tabriz showed black smoke rising. The sound of explosions and Iranian air defense systems firing at targets echoed across central Tehran. Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported a fire at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport.
Powys County Times
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Powys County Times
Israeli military says latest missiles from Iran incoming as explosions heard
The latest US-Iran talks on Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme will not take place, mediator Oman said on Saturday, as Iran launched another missile barrage a day after Israel's blistering attack on Iranian nuclear and military sites. Both Israel's military and Iran state television announced the latest round of missiles as explosions were heard overhead in parts of Israel, including Tel Aviv. Israel's military quickly noted that it was currently striking 'military targets' in Tehran. Jordan said it has closed its airspace. Israel's ongoing 'widespread strikes' in Tehran and elsewhere 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. Oman's foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, said on social media the sixth round of indirect nuclear talks on Sunday 'will not now take place', adding that 'diplomacy and dialogue remain the only pathway to lasting peace'. Although the talks are off for now, 'we remain committed to talks and hope the Iranians will come to the table soon', said a senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss diplomacy. Israel and Iran signalled more attacks are coming, despite urgent calls from world leaders to deescalate 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 — widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East — said its hundreds of strikes on Iran over the past two days killed a number of top generals, nine senior scientists and experts involved in Iran's nuclear programme. Iran's UN ambassador has said 78 people were killed and more than 320 wounded. Iran retaliated by launching waves of drones and ballistic missiles at Israel, where explosions lit the night skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and shook buildings. Israel said three people were killed and over 170 wounded. 'If (Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front — Tehran will burn,' defence minister Israel Katz said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has made the destruction of Iran's nuclear programme 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, semi-official 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 extent of damage at the South Pars natural gas field was not immediately clear. Such sites have air defence systems around them, which Israel has been targeting. Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only, and US intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran was not actively pursuing the bomb. But its 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. Iran's top diplomat said on 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', Mr Araghchi said in a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency. The US has said it is not part of the strikes. On Friday, US President Donald Trump urged Iran to reach a deal with the US on its nuclear programme, adding that 'Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left'. – US helps to shoot down Iranian missiles Iran launched waves of missiles at Israel late on Friday and early on Saturday. Iranians awoke to state television airing repeated clips of the strikes, as well as videos of people cheering and handing out sweets. The Iranian attacks killed at least three people and wounded 174, two of them seriously, Israel said. The military said seven soldiers were lightly wounded when a missile hit central Israel, without specifying where — the first report of Israeli military casualties since the initial Israeli strikes. US ground-based air defence systems in the region were helping to shoot down Iranian missiles, said a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the measures. Israel's main international airport said it will remain closed until further notice. – Indications of a new Israeli attack Israel's army spokesman, Brigadier General Effie Defrin, said Israel had attacked more than 400 targets across Iran, including 40 in Tehran, where dozens of fighter jets were 'operating freely'. He said it was the deepest point Israel's air force had operated. Brig Gen Defrin said fighter jets struck over 40 'missile-related targets and advanced air defence array systems' across Iran. A governor of Eastern Azerbaijan province in north-western Iran said 30 troops and a rescuer had been killed there, with 55 others wounded. Governor Bahram Sarmast's remarks were the latest acknowledgment of mass casualties. Iranian state television reported online that air defences were firing in the cities of Khorramabad, Kermanshah and Tabriz. Footage from Tabriz showed black smoke rising. The sound of explosions and Iranian air defense systems firing at targets echoed across central Tehran.
