WEB DESK: Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz on Saturday warned Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that “Tehran will burn” if it keeps firing missiles at Israeli civilians.
“The Iranian dictator is taking the citizens of Iran hostage, bringing about a reality in which they, and especially Teheran’s residents, will pay a heavy price for the flagrant harm inflicted upon Israel’s citizens. If Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front, Tehran will burn,” Katz said in a statement. Earlier in the day, Iran fired a new salvo of missiles at Israel in response to unprecedented Israeli air strikes against military and nuclear sites on Iranian soil, raising fears of an escalation in the region
So far, 4 people have been killed and 63 injured in Israel, with several buildings reduced to rubble in counterstrikes launched by Iran after Israel launched an offensive against it.Explosions have been reported in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem following Iran’s latest missile barrage. Members of the U.S. Embassy have taken shelter, and sirens have sounded across Tel Aviv, prompting citizens to rush into bunkers.
In latest development, three Revolutionary Guards were killed in an Israeli attack on the northwestern Iranian city of Zanjan, Tansnim news agency reported Saturday.Israel has also killed three more Iranian nuclear scientists, state television reported Saturday, bringing to nine the overall number slain in Israel’s attack on the Islamic republic.”Three of the country’s nuclear scientists — Ali Bekaei Karimi, Mansour Asgari, and Saeed Borji — were martyred during the Zionist regime’s terrorist attacks,” the broadcaster said.
Iran and Israel targeted each other with missiles and airstrikes early on Saturday after Israel launched its biggest-ever air offensive against its longtime foe in a bid to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.The Israeli military said rescue teams were working at a number of locations across the country where fallen projectiles were reported, without commenting on casualties. However, reports said four people were killed and 63 injured while several buildings were damaged in Iranian strikes.
Iran has named the retaliatory strikes “Operation True Promise 3” with a senior Iranian military official, General Ahmad Vahidi, saying the strikes will continue as long as necessary.The strikes come hours after the Israeli regime, in unprovoked aggression, targeted locations in Iranian territory, including residential buildings.
The Iranian counterstrikes began without notice, and images and footage began to appear of missile after missile penetrating Israel’s missile defenses and exploding upon impact on their targets. Huge fireballs lighted up the night sky in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as they did.
Reports say Israel’s ministry of war has been hit. Israeli air defense batteries around other specific targets were also taken out before missiles came down on the higher-profile targets.The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said in a brief statement after the strikes began that dozens of Israeli targets, including military sites and airbases, were being hit in pinpoint strikes. It said more details would be offered later.
In a second statement later at about midnight, the IRGC said the force’s missile and drone units had targeted the Israeli military bases that had been used to initiate the strikes on Iran, as well as industrial weapon manufacturing and other military sites deep in Israel. The statement said intelligence collected, including through satellite imagery, showed dozens of ballistic missiles had hit their targets
