Tehran / Tel Aviv: Iran and Israel are locked in their most intense and direct military confrontation in history, with both nations launching waves of missile strikes and drone attacks.
The escalation entered a new phase as Iran activated air defense systems across multiple regions in response to fresh Israeli strikes on Tehran and other strategic targets. Israel, in turn, urged its citizens to seek shelter as it intercepted a renewed barrage of missiles launched from Iran.
The confrontation marked by unprecedented direct attacks follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pledge to strike “every target of the ayatollah regime” and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s vow of a “more severe and powerful response” if Israeli aggression continued.
Israel launched its offensive, reportedly targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, air defense systems, and military command centres. Iran claims that the strikes killed 78 people and injured 320, including top army commanders and senior nuclear scientists.
מחזק את לוחמי צה״ל ואנשי כוחות הביטחון, ומאחל בהצלחה לראש הממשלה, לרמטכ״ל ולקבינט בניהול המערכה.
בוטח בצה״ל ובמערכת הביטחון במשימתם החשובה להסרת האיום הקיומי.
״יְהוָה עֹז לְעַמּוֹ יִתֵּן, יְהוָה יְבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמּוֹ בַשָּׁלוֹם״.
עם ישראל חי 🇮🇱
— יואב גלנט – Yoav Gallant (@yoavgallant) June 13, 2025
Among the casualties were Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s highest-ranking military officer, and Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to Iranian media.
Iran’s retaliatory strikes, consisting of drones and ballistic missiles, lit up skies over Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, causing widespread damage. Israeli authorities confirmed that three civilians were killed and 76 injured.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi have threatened further escalation.
On Saturday, the Israeli military announced that it had struck an underground missile facility in Khorramabad in western Iran and a key oil refinery in the southern city of Kangan.
The crisis has drawn urgent calls for de-escalation from world leaders, amid fears the conflict could spiral into a full-scale regional war.
Israel is defending freedom in the Middle East and beyond.
We’re doing so against a tyrannical and radical Iranian regime that wants to build atomic bombs to destroy us and wants to build ballistic missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, to be able to threaten… pic.twitter.com/f7lLOrsP0M
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) June 14, 2025
The conflict also derailed a scheduled round of US-Iran nuclear talks that were set for Sunday. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared that negotiations “cannot continue under Israeli bombardment,” blaming Israel for undermining diplomatic efforts and pushing the region into “a dangerous cycle of violence.”
Oman, a key mediator, confirmed that the nuclear talks have been suspended
Airspace across Iran and Israel remains closed, with several regional countries including Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon temporarily suspending flights before gradually reopening their airspace on Saturday.
Tehran has warned Britain, France, and the United States against military involvement, threatening retaliatory action if they assist Israel.
