Amid escalating hostilities in the Middle East, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that “Tehran will burn” if Iran’s missile airstrikes continue to hit the nation. At least three people were killed and dozens wounded on Saturday morning as Iran’s projectiles managed to breach Israel’s much-vaunted Iron Dome air defence system. Iran’s attacks came after two nights of Israeli strikes. Tehran said nearly 78 Iranians were killed on the first night, with 60 others losing their lives in an attack on a housing complex on Friday night.
Tensions rose sharply on Saturday with Iran warning that it will target military bases of the US, the United Kingdom, and France if they intervene to halt Tehran’s strikes on Israel. Katz, too, said Iran will pay a heavy price for harming Israeli citizens, according to The Associated Press. “If Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front, Tehran will burn,” Katz said.
On his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Iranians to rise against their leaders while underlining that his objective was to eliminate any Iranian threat to Israel. Israel would welcome the government’s overthrow, even if it is not actively seeking it, he said.
Israel kicked off a series of blistering attacks early Friday killing Iran’s top four security chiefs, and wreaked havoc on the country’s main nuclear site at Natanz. In retaliation, Iran launched scores of missiles at Israel, killing three and injuring several others, with explosions lighting up the night skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and turning buildings into rubble.
The Israeli attack came as the United States and Iran were negotiating terms for a new diplomatic agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear programme. On the other hand, Israel has argued that Iran – its key regional opponent – is making progress toward building a nuclear weapon, which Israel considers an existential threat.
While the US and Iran were scheduled to hold talks over a nuclear accord in Oman on Sunday, the freshly launched strikes have put the negotiations in jeopardy. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman had called further nuclear talks with the United States “meaningless” after Israeli strikes on the country, according to state television quoted by AP. “The US did a job that made the talks become meaningless,” Esmail Baghaei said. He added that Israel had passed all of Iran’s red lines by committing a “criminal act” through its strikes.
On Saturday, residents in Iran woke up to state television airing repeated clips of strikes on Israel, as well as videos of people celebrating and distributing sweets. Israel’s military said more drones were intercepted near the Dead Sea early Saturday. At least seven people were treated at a hospital in Tel Aviv, and Israel’s Fire and Rescue Services said they were injured when a projectile hit a building in the city. A Beilinson Hospital official said one woman was killed. A few hours later, an Iranian missile hit homes in the central Israeli city of Rishon Lezion, killing two more people and leaving 19 injured, Israel’s paramedic service Magen David Adom told AP.
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Israel’s Fire and Rescue service said four homes were severely damaged. On the other side, a fire reportedly broke out at Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport. The Israeli military said it carried out overnight strikes on dozens of targets, including air defences, “in the area of Tehran.” According to Israel’s paramedic services, 34 people were wounded in the barrage on the Tel Aviv area, including a woman who was critically injured after being trapped under rubble.
With inputs from AP, The New York Times
