Israeli military conducts new strikes on Iran’s defence ministry
On Sunday, Israel initiated a broader offensive against Iran, executing direct strikes aimed at its energy sector and the Defence Ministry headquarters. In response, Tehran launched a new wave of missile attacks, which have been attributed to the fatalities of four individuals. The concurrent strikes marked the most recent offensive following an unexpected assault by Israel two days prior, targeting Tehran’s swiftly progressing nuclear initiative.
New explosions reverberated throughout Tehran as Iranian missiles penetrated Israel’s airspace in an assault that Israeli emergency officials reported resulted in the deaths of four individuals in a Galilee apartment building. Casualty figures were not immediately available in Iran, where Israel targeted its Defence Ministry headquarters in Tehran, along with sites it alleged were linked to the country’s nuclear programme.
In the context of the ongoing conflict, the scheduled negotiations between Iran and the United States regarding Tehran’s nuclear programme were called off, raising uncertainties about the timeline and manner in which hostilities might conclude. “Tehran is burning,” Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated on social media, while Iranian state television reported that explosions were heard in the city’s east and west. Both Israel’s military and Iran’s state television reported the latest series of Iranian missile launches as explosions echoed near midnight, coinciding with a meeting of the Israeli security cabinet. In a recent statement, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard announced that Iranian missiles have struck facilities involved in the production of fuel for Israeli jetfighters. It stated that Iran will launch additional missiles should Israeli strikes persist.
The Magen David Adom emergency service reported that one woman lost her life, while more than a dozen others sustained injuries, following the impact on a two-story residence in the northern region. Within the hour, Israel’s military announced that individuals could exit shelters. The ongoing strikes by Israel across Iran have presented the surviving leadership with a challenging choice: to escalate the conflict with Israel’s superior military capabilities or to pursue a diplomatic solution.
World leaders issued urgent appeals to deescalate tensions and avert the onset of all-out war. The assault on nuclear facilities established a “dangerous precedent,” remarked China’s foreign minister. The region finds itself in a precarious situation as Israel intensifies its efforts to eradicate the Iranian-supported militant organization Hamas in Gaza following 20 months of conflict. The sixth round of indirect talks between the US and Iran regarding Iran’s nuclear programme, originally scheduled for Sunday, will not occur, according to the mediator, Oman. “We remain committed to talks and hope the Iranians will come to the table soon,” said a senior US official, who requested to remain anonymous to discuss diplomatic matters.
Israel, widely regarded as the sole nuclear-armed state in the Middle East, has reported that its extensive strikes on Iran over the past two days have resulted in the deaths of several high-ranking generals, along with nine senior scientists and experts associated with Iran’s nuclear program. According to Iran’s UN ambassador, there have been 78 fatalities and over 320 injuries reported. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has prioritized the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear programme, stated that Israel’s current strikes are “nothing compared to what they will feel under the sway of our forces in the coming days”.
In a potential escalation, semiofficial Iranian news agencies have reported that an Israeli drone struck an Iranian natural-gas processing plant, resulting in a “strong explosion.” This would mark the inaugural Israeli assault on Iran’s oil and natural gas sector. Israel’s military has yet to provide an immediate response. The full scale of the damage at the South Pars natural gas field remains uncertain at this time. Air-defence systems are positioned around such sites, which have been the focus of Israeli targeting.
Iran characterizes the nuclear discussions as ‘unjustifiable’. Iran asserts that its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes, while US intelligence agencies have evaluated that Tehran is not currently engaged in efforts to develop a nuclear bomb. However, its uranium enrichment has approached weapons-grade levels, and on Thursday, the UN’s atomic watchdog criticized Iran for failing to adhere to obligations designed to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon. On Saturday, Iran’s leading diplomat characterized the nuclear negotiations as “unjustifiable” in the wake of Israel’s military actions. During a call with Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi made his remarks.According to Araghchi, the Israeli airstrikes were the “result of the direct support by Washington”, as reported by the state-run IRNA news agency. The US has stated that it is not involved in the strikes.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump called on Iran to negotiate a deal regarding its nuclear programme, stating that “Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left”. The United States assists in intercepting Iranian missiles. Iran initiated its initial missile strikes against Israel late on Friday and into the early hours of Saturday. According to Israel, the attacks resulted in the deaths of at least three individuals and left 174 others injured, with two sustaining serious injuries. The military reported that seven soldiers sustained light injuries when a missile struck central Israel, though it did not specify the exact location. A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the measures, stated that ground-based air-defense systems in the region were assisting in intercepting Iranian missiles.
Israel’s primary international airport has announced that it will remain closed until further notice. On Saturday, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, the spokesman for Israel’s army, reported that Israel had conducted attacks on over 400 “missile-related” and additional targets throughout Iran, with 40 of those located in Tehran, where numerous fighter jets were “operating freely”. He stated it was the most profound point at which Israel’s air force had conducted operations.
