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Israel has launched a "preemptive strike" on Iran, declaring a special state of emergency across the country. Israeli airstrikes on Friday included nuclear and military targets.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps chief commander was among those assassinated in the Israeli airstrikes on Tehran. Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vowed that the Iranian armed forces will make Israel "miserable" as dozens of missiles were launched at Israel Friday night.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cautioned the United States of "irreparable damage" it will suffer in case of American military action against Iran, stressing that the Iranian nation will never surrender.
In a televised message on Wednesday, Khamenei said the country will strongly fight the imposed war in the same way that it will stand against an imposed peace, emphasizing that Ian will not surrender to anything imposed by anybody.
Speaking about Khamenei, US President Donald Trump said in a message on Truth Social platform: "We know exactly where the supreme leader is hiding," he wrote. "We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now ... Our patience is wearing thin."
Three minutes later he posted, "Unconditional surrender!"
His message is construed by many outsiders as indicating an aggressive posture of joining Israel in military operation against Iran, which will certainly please the Israeli cabinet.
Dismissing the threatening comments by the US president, Ayatollah Khamenei said the wise individuals that are familiar with the Iranian nation and history would never talk to Iran with the language of threat, because it is impossible for the Iranian nation to surrender.
He warned that the Americans must bear in mind that any military engagement against Iran will undoubtedly inflict irreparable damages on them, Iran's Tasnim News Agency reported.
The US is deploying more fighter jets and air carriers to the Middle East, and Trump and his team were considering a few options, including joining Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, Reuters cited three US officials as sources.
Khamenei praised the Iranian nation for its decent, courageous and timely behavior in the face of the "stupid and evil" act of aggression by Israel.
He hailed the Iranian people's reaction as a sign of growth and the consistency of its rationality and spirituality.
Earlier, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.) said Iran has sent a message to the Israeli regime's warmongering ally, the United States, by striking Israeli targets with a new advanced hypersonic missile.
The I.R.G.C. said in a news release early on Wednesday, following the 11th wave of punitive Iranian strikes on Israel, that first-generation Fattah missiles, used in the latest salvo, repeatedly penetrated Israeli air defenses and "sent the message of Iran's might to Tel Aviv's warmongering ally, which has delusional wishes," Iran's IRNA agency reported.
Hours earlier, Iran began hitting Israeli targets. Footage captured from inside the occupied territories showed Iranian missiles making impact on ground targets, and the Israeli "Iron Dome" system was seen malfunctioning for a second night in a row and lobbing presumably defense projectiles onto Tel Aviv and causing fires.
Iran answered threats of Israel and the United States for "unconditional surrender" by firing hypersonic missiles into Israeli cities on the sixth day of conflict, but damage inflicted by Israeli airstrikes to Iran's nuclear facilities surfaced more clearly.
US President Donald Trump, calling for Iran's compliance for a deal, issued on Tuesday the warning against Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Truth Social platform: "We know exactly where the supreme leader is hiding," he wrote. "We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now ... Our patience is wearing thin."
Three minutes later he posted, "Unconditional surrender!"
Early Wednesday saw an English answer from Khamenei on X platform: "We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime. We will show the Zionists no mercy." In central Teheran, protesters gathered to denounce Trump's recent comments on their leader.
Ali Bahreini, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, told reporters that he saw the US as "complicit in what Israel is doing", and Iran will respond firmly to the US if it becomes directly involved in Israel's military campaign.
Despite concerns of the international atomic energy community over nuclear safety, Israel's military said on Wednesday that "more than 50 fighter jets" struck an Iranian centrifuge production facility and multiple weapons manufacturing sites, as it now "has control of Iranian airspace" and intends to escalate the campaign in coming days.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed earlier that Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear sites have set the country's nuclear program back a "very, very long time". Iranian media reported several explosions on Tuesday in the central city of Isfahan, home to nuclear facilities.
For the first time in days, the International Atomic Energy Agency or IAEA said on Tuesday that an Israeli strike directly hit the underground enrichment halls at the Natanz facility, revising an earlier assessment after initially reporting it had been hit only indirectly.
IAEA also said two centrifuge production facilities in Iran, a workshop in Karaj and the Tehran Nuclear Research Center were also hit in Israeli attacks.
Celebrating in social media that "A tornado sweeps through Tehran", Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, has vowed to take out all nuclear sites of Iran, especially facilities at Fordow, which is built deep into a mountainside and reportedly not easy for Israeli strikes.
In comments to German media at the G7 summit in Canada, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said it was "dirty work Israel is doing for all of us" by carrying out strikes on Iran's nuclear sites, Deutsche Welle reported on Tuesday.
Iran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful. US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has testified to Congress that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon, and that Iranian supreme leader had not reauthorized the dormant program, AP reported. But during an overnight flight back to Washington from the G7 summit, dismissed the chief of spy agencies. "I don't care what she said," Trump told reporters on board Air Force One.
In retaliation, Iran told residents of Tel Aviv and Haifa to prepare for attacks, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claiming its hypersonic Fattah-1 missiles were "repeatedly shaking the shelters" in Tel Aviv.
Hypersonic missiles travel at more than five times the speed of sound and can maneuver mid-flight, making them harder to track and intercept. The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Israel was running low on defensive "Arrow" missile interceptors, citing an unnamed US official.
Mohamed El Baradei, former IAEA chief during 1997-2009, said on X that Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities and Trump's threat of "total surrender" were "a clear act of national humiliation".
The assault on Iran "is a sure way to destroy" the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, he warned, adding that it "sends a clear message to many countries that their ultimate security is to develop nuclear weapons".
Sarah Leah Whitson, a US-based lawyer, warned that assassinating Iran's supreme leader could be a violation of international law and "continued belligerence and hostile rhetoric" by Trump is "only throwing fuel on the fire".
As the US is deploying more fighter jets to the Middle East, Trump and his team were considering a few options, including joining Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, three US officials told Reuters.
A YouGov poll showed most US people believe the US military should not get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict, with some 60 percent opposing the move and only 16 percent supporting it.
Despite international alarm, neither side has backed off from the long-range blitz that began on Friday, when Israel's unprecedented attacks targeted Iranian nuclear and military facilities.
Due to the deadly strikes, foreign governments have started to evacuate their citizens.
Agencies contributed to this story.
TEHRAN -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that the country remains steadfast amid its conflict with Israel and will not surrender to anyone amid pressure, according to the Tasnim news agency.
In a televised address, Khamenei praised the "steadfast, courageous, and timely" response of the Iranian people to what he called "the foolish and malicious aggression" of Israel. He said the nation's resilience reflected "the growth of rationality and spirituality" in the country.
"The Iranian nation stands firm against an imposed war, just as it will stand firm against an imposed peace. This nation will not surrender to anyone under pressure," Tasnim quoted Khamenei as saying.
Khamenei also warned that any American military intervention would cause "irreparable damage." "Those who know Iran and its history understand that threatening this nation is futile," he said.
Khamenei's remarks followed a series of social media posts from US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, in which he demanded Iran's "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!" and appeared to suggest targeting Khamenei personally. The posts fueled speculation that Trump could involve the US military in the conflict.
The aerial conflict between Israel and Iran has entered its sixth day, with nearly 600 killed in Iran and 24 in Israel. The escalation began after Israel launched surprise airstrikes across Iran on June 13.
The Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that 791 Chinese nationals have been moved from Iran to safety, and the evacuation of over 1,000 has gathered pace since the outbreak of the conflict between Iran and Israel.
Chinese embassies and consulates in Iran's neighboring countries such as Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan have dispatched working groups to assist Chinese nationals in accessing border ports, while helping facilitate their accommodation and onward travel back to China, the ministry's spokesman Guo Jiakun said.
Some Chinese citizens have already been safely evacuated from Israel, he told a daily news conference.
China expresses sincere gratitude for the strong support and assistance provided by the relevant countries, he said.
Currently, the ministry has not received any report of casualties of Chinese nationals, Guo said, adding that the ministry and relevant Chinese embassies and consulates will consider the will of Chinese nationals and continue to assist their evacuation and transfer.
JERUSALEM -- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that Israel is not engaged in any negotiations with Iran to halt the deadly aerial conflict that began with a large-scale Israeli strike on Friday.
"We are not engaged in any negotiations, and we will not allow harm to Israeli civilians," Katz told reporters during a visit to Herzliya, a coastal city north of Tel Aviv, where a missile fired from Iran struck earlier.
Katz said Israel would continue its offensive until Iran is no longer capable of launching missiles against Israeli territory.
Asked whether the United States might join Israel's military campaign, Katz said Washington was already assisting in defending Israel against some of the Iranian attacks.
"At the moment, it is assisting us in defending against some of the attacks," he said. "The decisions of the US president are the decisions of the United States. We will respect any decision and appreciate any assistance."
The conflict erupted on Friday when Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran, declaring its goal was to dismantle Iran's nuclear program.
Iranian officials say the Israeli strikes have killed hundreds of people, including civilians. Fatemeh Mohajerani, a spokeswoman for the Iranian government, said on Monday that 45 women and children were among the dead.
In Israel, both military and residential sites have been struck, with 24 people killed, according to Israeli authorities.
Russia said on Tuesday that it was ready to act as a peace broker between Israel and Iran, but noted that Israel appeared reluctant to accept outside mediation.
Israel began launching strikes across Iran on Friday, claiming they were aimed at preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon -- a charge that Iran denies.
Iran has responded with retaliatory strikes on Israel.
"President Putin has said that Russia is ready to provide mediation services if necessary," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters at a daily news conference.
In recent years, Russia has deepened its ties with Iran while maintaining a close working relationship with Israel, positioning itself as a potential mediator.
"At present, we see a reluctance, at least on the part of Israel, to resort to any mediation services or to embark on a peaceful path toward a settlement."
Israeli strikes on Iran have resulted in at least 224 deaths, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. At least 24 people have been killed inside Israel.
EU: Diplomacy is the best path
Meanwhile, the European Union said on Tuesday that diplomacy was the best path to address Teheran's nuclear program, after emergency talks among its 27 foreign ministers on the conflict between Israel and Iran.
"We all agreed on the urgent need for de-escalation. Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb, and diplomacy is the solution to prevent this, and (the) EU will play its part," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said following a video call.
Europe has largely remained on the sidelines of efforts to curb the violence between the two Middle East nations after Israel's initial strikes on Iran.
Europe played a key role in negotiating and overseeing the 2015 agreement on Iran's nuclear program, which was abandoned by Trump during his first term in office.
"As the Iran and US talks have run into some kind of standstill, Europe "has more to say," Kallas said, adding that she had spoken to Iran's foreign minister and key European counterparts on Monday.
Iran and the United States had scheduled a new round of negotiations in Oman on June 15, but the talks were disrupted by Israel's surprise attacks on Iran's atomic energy and military targets.
TEHRAN -- Two loud explosions were heard in central and northern Tehran on Tuesday, local eyewitnesses reported, as Israel continued its bombardment of the Iranian capital for a fifth consecutive day.
There was no immediate information on the cause or exact locations of the blasts.
Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on social media platform X that Iran's Natanz site, which contains the Fuel Enrichment Plant and the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant, was hit amid Israeli strikes.
"Based on continued analysis of high resolution satellite imagery collected after Friday's attacks, the IAEA has identified additional elements that indicate direct impacts on the underground enrichment halls at Natanz," it said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the Israeli Air Force would target "very significant targets, strategic targets, targets of the regime and infrastructure" in Tehran. He added that evacuation warnings would be issued to residents near the strike zones.
Speaking about Iran's nuclear program, Katz said the underground Fordow facility remains "an issue that will certainly be addressed." He claimed that Israeli forces are "on the verge of destroying" more than 10 nuclear-related sites in Tehran, citing the Israeli Air Force's aerial superiority in the region.
Separately, a fire broke out Tuesday at the headquarters of Iranian state television in Tehran, the broadcaster said, following an Israeli strike a day earlier that severely damaged the building and killed three people.
"The smoke seen at the Iranian radio and television building is due to a fire that reignited because of the wind," state television reported.
The deadly aerial conflict between the Islamic Republic and Israel has entered its fifth day, with at least 244 people killed in Iran and 24 in Israel. The escalation was triggered by Israel's surprise airstrikes across Iran on Friday.
TEHRAN -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday Israel seeks to expand the war to other countries in the West Asia region.
He made the remarks at a weekly press conference while condemning the ongoing Israeli "aggression" against Iran, which has started since early Friday.
Baghaei said, "We have no doubt that Israel wishes to fan the flames of the war as much as it can and spread the flames to other countries and players in the region," adding that Israel had attacked residential buildings in Iran and a children's hospital in Tehran.
He stressed that Iran's nuclear program was merely a pretext for Israel as no evidence was available indicating a diversion from the "peaceful path" in Iran's nuclear program.
The Iranian spokesman also slammed the US government and policymakers for their positions on the Israeli attacks, stressing that such stances made Iran more certain that they were part of Israel's "lawbreaking and aggression."
Israel has since early Friday launched airstrikes on the Iranian capital Tehran and other areas across the country, killing a number of Iran's top military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians.
In response, Iran has since Friday night launched a series of missile and drone strikes on different targets in Israel, inflicting casualties and heavy damages.
Leading Pakistani officials said the country stands in "resolute solidarity" with the people and government of Iran following Israeli strikes on military and nuclear targets.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged the international community and the United Nations to take "urgent and credible steps" to put an end to "Israel's aggressive behavior and its illegal action", on June 14, a day after the strikes on Iran.
Sharif said this during a phone call with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to a statement released by the Pakistani PM's office.
"The Prime Minister denounced Israel's blatant provocations and adventurism as a grave threat to regional and global peace and stability," said the statement.
"He stated that Pakistan was fully committed to promoting peace in the region and stood ready to play its role in this context."
Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Asim Iftikhar Ahmad strongly condemned the Israeli airstrikes on Iran.
The attacks killed several key figures, including nuclear scientists and high-ranking military officials, sparking concerns over the possibility of a broader regional conflict.
"We unequivocally denounce these blatant provocations, which constitute a grave danger and a serious threat to the peace, security, and stability of the entire region and beyond, with serious implications," Ahmad told a UN Security Council briefing on June 13.
"Iran has the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter," he added.
Pakistan earlier advised its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Iran and neighboring Iraq amid heightened regional tensions following the Israeli airstrikes.
"In view of the evolving security situation in the region, pilgrims from Pakistan are advised to reconsider their travel plans to Iran and Iraq," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement released on June 13.
At the same time, Sharif directed concerned government agencies to provide full support to Pakistani citizens currently in Iran.
Xinhua contributed to this story.
JERUSALEM -- A fresh missile attack from Iran activated sirens in multiple areas across Israel on Sunday, the Israeli military said, sending millions to shelters in the afternoon.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
The Israeli military said "several" missiles were launched from Iran toward Israel, with most of them being intercepted.
"No reports of fallen projectiles were received," it said in a statement.
The attack began at around 4 pm local time (1300 GMT), marking the first time the Islamic Republic fired missiles at Israel during daylight since Israel's deadly surprise strike on Iran on Friday, which triggered the current escalation.
Also on Sunday, the body of another victim was recovered from the rubble of a building that sustained a direct missile hit overnight, police said, adding that teams were still searching for three people who remain missing.
According to Israel's state-owned Kan TV News, the death toll from Iran's strikes since Friday has reached 14.
JERUSALEM -- Israeli Air Force aircraft struck more than 80 sites across the Iranian capital, Tehran, over the past day, the Israeli military's spokesman, Effie Defrin, said on Sunday, as Israel continued airstrikes across the Islamic Republic for a third consecutive day.
The wave of attacks began at 22:45 on Saturday and continued through Sunday morning. "The aircraft operated via the aerial corridor we paved to the center of Iran," Defrin said in a briefing to reporters, adding that Israeli forces also struck Houthi sites in Yemen.
"We are not stopping our attacks for even a moment," he said.
The targets included the SPND (Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research), a facility in Tehran believed by Israeli and Western intelligence to be involved in nuclear weapons-related research.
The Air Force also targeted facilities for centrifuge production used in uranium enrichment, a research and development center for chemical materials that Israel claims was used to produce raw materials for nuclear weapons, and other laboratories that, according to the military, contained "unique components and projects contributing to the development of nuclear weapons."
Defrin confirmed that the Air Force also struck fuel depots near Tehran.
Since the initial attack early Friday, more than 250 sites have been struck. "Even at this hour, we are continuing to strike dozens more targets in Tehran," Defrin said. "We are deepening the damage to the nuclear program and to military capabilities in order to disrupt and reduce the threat to the Israeli home front."
Since Saturday night, approximately 60 surface-to-surface missiles and dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles were launched by Iran, Defrin said, adding that the strikes killed 10 civilians. A missile launched by Houthi forces in Yemen was intercepted by Israeli aerial defense systems.
The Iranian missile barrages were in retaliation for an Israeli surprise attack early Friday that struck nuclear facilities across Iran. Several nuclear scientists and senior military officials were killed.
According to Iranian figures, at least 78 people were killed on Friday, with dozens more killed on Saturday. It said the fatalities include at least 29 children.
TEHRAN - Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has confirmed that eight other senior commanders of its aerospace division were killed in Israel's Friday airstrikes on the capital Tehran.
In a statement published on its official news outlet Sepah News, the IRGC extended condolences over the "martyrdom" of its senior commanders.
It listed the slain commanders as Mahmoud Bagheri, Davoud Sheikhian, Mohammad-Bagher Taherpour, Mansour Safarpour, Masoud Tayyeb, Khosrow Hassani, Javad Jorsara, and Mohammad Aghajafari.
Israel early Friday launched airstrikes on Tehran and other Iranian cities, hitting nuclear facilities and killing a number of Iran's top military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. It continued its attacks on different parts of Iran on Saturday and Sunday.
Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Mohammad Bagheri, IRGC's Chief Commander Hossein Salami, Commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters Gholam-Ali Rashid, and Commander of the IRGC's Aerospace Division Amir Ali Hajizadeh were assassinated in the Israeli airstrikes on Tehran.
In response, Iran on Friday and Saturday nights launched several waves of missile attacks against targets in Israel, inflicting casualties and heavy damages.
JERUSALEM - Iranian aerial attacks killed at least six people and injured 140 others in Israel early on Sunday, Israeli authorities said.
Air sirens and sounds of explosions sent millions running to shelters in dozens of cities across Israel, the military said in a statement.
A residential building in Bat Yam, just south of Tel Aviv, was hit by a missile, causing it to collapse. Another missile struck a residential area in Rehovot, a city in Israel's Central District, causing dozens of injuries.
The police said in a statement that at least two of the fatalities were children, and added that at least seven people were still missing.
The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot sustained damage to several campus buildings as a result of the Iranian missile barrage, but no injuries were reported, the institute said in a statement.
At least 140 people were wounded in the two attacks, Israel's Magen David Adom (MDA) rescue service reported, adding that the vast majority of them sustained light injuries.
Also overnight, the number of fatalities from a missile attack that hit Tamra, an Arab city in the North District of Israel, on Saturday night rose to four, according to the MDA. They were identified as a mother and her two daughters and another relative. Dozens were injured.
On Sunday morning, the Israeli Air Force said it had intercepted seven drones launched toward northern and southern Israel within about an hour.
Overnight, Israeli warplanes continued to strike targets in Iran, including in the capital, Tehran, hitting fuel tankers and suspected nuclear sites, the Israeli military said in a statement. A second wave of airstrikes targeted missile launchers and storage facilities in western Iran.
Meanwhile, Israel issued on Sunday an evacuation warning to Iranians living near weapons production facilities in Tehran, urging them "not to return until further notice."
"Being near these facilities puts your lives at risk," Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a post in Persian and Arabic on social media platform X.
The warning was issued following an instruction from the Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz. A senior Israeli security official told Xinhua that the directive to evacuate residents in Tehran "is part of a pre-approved plan to exert pressure on the regime by displacing the population, in response to the missile fire on Israel's home front."
Israel launched its heaviest air attack on Iran on Friday, targeting nuclear facilities across Iran. Israel said several nuclear scientists and senior military officials were killed in the strikes.
Iran said at least 78 people were killed on Friday, with dozens more killed on Saturday. It said the fatalities included at least 29 children.
If Israeli attacks on Iran stop, "our responses will also stop," said Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at a news conference in Teheran on Sunday in his first public appearance since the Israeli strikes began on Friday.
"Iran's military response against Israel has been based on self-defense. If the aggression stops, our responses will also stop. Iran does not want its conflict with Israel to expand to neighboring countries unless the situation is forced," Araghchi said.
He said the United States needs to condemn the Israeli attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities and Iran does not believe the US claim of not being involved in Israel's attack on its Natanz nuclear facility.
Further, the minister reaffirmed Iran's stance on nuclear weapons, saying that it is "our firm conviction not to possess a nuclear weapon".
"Yet those who are willing to deprive Iran of our right to possess the nuclear programme for peaceful purposes, they have no right to do so," he added.
Araghchi also said that in the now-canceled sixth round of negotiations with the US which was scheduled for today, Iran was "prepared to provide the necessary assurances to the Americans".
"In the previous round of talks, the Americans presented a number of proposals, which were not totally acceptable to us. We presented our response and our viewpoints, and we were supposed to present a counterproposal. Our proposal could have opened doors for an all-out agreement with the Americans," he said.
According to Araghchi, Israel opposes diplomatic progress between Iran and the US.
"This is a crystal-clear matter. The Zionist entity is not willing to see us reaching an agreement or a diplomatic solution with the US," he added.
MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump had discussed the situation in the Middle East in a phone conversation, the Kremlin said Saturday.
"The conversation lasted for 50 minutes, it was substantive, sincere and very useful," Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov said. "Naturally, it was focused on the dangerous exacerbation of the situation in the Middle East."
Putin denounced the Israeli military operation against Iran and expressed grave concern over the possible escalation of the conflict, which would have unpredictable consequences for the entire Middle East region, he said in a statement.
"Putin emphasized the importance of preventing the conflict from escalating and the readiness of the Russian side to engage in possible mediation efforts," he said.
Trump also views the situation as very alarming, he said, adding that the Russian and US presidents do not rule out a return to the negotiating track on Iran's nuclear program.
Trump noted that the team of US negotiators is ready to resume work with Iranian representatives, according to Ushakov.
Putin also informed Trump about the execution of the agreements reached by the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul on June 2 and expressed readiness to continue talks with the Ukrainian side after June 22, he said.
Trump took note of this information and reiterated his interest in bringing the Russian-Ukrainian conflict to a speedy conclusion, he added.
Israeli military says it hits Iran's defense ministry headquarters: media
Explosions shake Tehran as Iran's tensions with Israel escalate: witness.
TEHRAN -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launched late Saturday night a "large-scale combined offensive operation" against Israel, involving a significant number of missiles and drones, the IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News reported.
The IRGC's aerospace division carried out the attack, stating it was in response to Israel's "repeated aggressions" against Iran, according to Sepah.
In Israel, a rocket struck a residential building in a northern community, killing one woman and injuring 13 others, according to Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's national emergency medical service. Several others sustained moderate to light injuries, and four individuals were treated for anxiety, MDA said.
Earlier in the day, MDA reported that at least three people had been killed and 204 others injured since the beginning of the Iranian offensive.
Following the latest wave of attacks, Israel's Home Front Command advised residents outside the Haifa and northern regions that they could exit bomb shelters but should remain close to protected areas.
The Israeli military stated that its air defense systems were actively intercepting incoming projectiles, while Israeli air force units were carrying out strikes on military targets in Tehran.
Iran's Ministry of Petroleum confirmed that two oil depots in Tehran were hit during the attacks. Residents reported two powerful explosions in the capital, with blasts felt in both the western and northern districts. The ministry said the situation was "under control."
Meanwhile, Jordan temporarily closed its airspace late Saturday as a precautionary measure following the Iranian missile barrage. The country's Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission announced that the step was taken to ensure the safety of civil aviation.
The Iranian offensive came in retaliation for Israeli airstrikes conducted early Friday, which targeted Tehran and several other cities. Iranian authorities said the Israeli strikes resulted in the deaths of multiple senior military commanders, nuclear scientists, and dozens of civilians.
JERUSALEM -- A woman was killed and 13 others were injured on Saturday night when a missile launched from Iran struck a two-story building in the Arab city of Tamra in northern Israel, according to Israel's national emergency service, Magen David Adom.
A barrage of missiles was fired from Iran toward wide areas of northern Israel, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement. According to Israel's Channel 12 News, the attack involved more than 40 missiles.
Following the missile launches, smartphone alerts were issued and sirens were activated in Haifa, the Galilee region, the Sea of Galilee area, and other northern locations, prompting hundreds of thousands of residents to seek shelter.
The IDF stated that, while intercepting the incoming missiles, the Israeli air force was also conducting strikes on military targets in Tehran.
TEHRAN -- An Israeli airstrike struck an ambulance in Iran's West Azerbaijan province, killing two people, Iranian media reported on Saturday.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency said the vehicle was "deliberately targeted" while carrying out humanitarian operations. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
Separately, Iranian authorities said 16 people were arrested in the central province of Isfahan on charges of supporting Israel and spreading propaganda, Tasnim reported.
The detainees were accused of actions including "disrupting public opinion in cyberspace" and engaging in activities deemed supportive of Israel. Under Iranian law, collaboration with Israeli entities is a criminal offense and carries severe penalties.
The reported incidents come amid a surge in hostilities following Israeli airstrikes launched early Friday that hit targets across Iran, including in the capital Tehran. Iranian state media said several senior military officials and nuclear scientists were killed in the attacks.
In retaliation, Iran has fired multiple ballistic missiles at Israeli military positions since Friday night, with cross-border exchanges continuing into Saturday.
