Iran Fires Another Round Of Missiles At Israel
Iran launched a second night of missiles against Israel late Saturday. At the same time, Israel’s military kept up attacks inside Tehran and elsewhere, a day after Israel’s blistering attack on Iranian nuclear and military sites over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program. The latest U.S.-Iran talks will not take place Sunday, officials said.
Both Israel’s military and Iran’s state television announced the latest round of Iranian missiles as explosions were heard in parts of Israel, including Tel Aviv, less than an hour before midnight, while the security cabinet was meeting. Fire officials reported a collapsed building in the north. Within the hour, Israel’s military said people could leave shelters.
The military noted that it was currently striking “military targets” in Tehran, where Iranian state television reported that explosions were heard in the city’s east and west.
Israel’s ongoing “widespread strikes” across Iran have left the country’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 that the sixth round of indirect talks on Sunday over Iran‘s nuclear program would not take place. “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.
World leaders made urgent calls to de-escalate 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 several 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 for a second night Saturday as explosions lit the night skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Israel said three people were killed overnight into Saturday in the first attack, and over 170 were 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.
