Today, Iran launched missiles targeting Israeli cities in response to Israeli strikes deep within the Islamic Republic, elevating Israel’s death toll by 11 on the fourth day of a widening air conflict.
After years of hostility and an extended covert war, Israel initiated a surprise aerial assault on Friday, striking various sites across Iran. The Israeli government contends these attacks are aimed at hindering its sworn enemy from developing nuclear weapons—an assertion that Tehran refutes.
According to Iranian authorities, Israel’s assault has resulted in the deaths of at least 224 individuals, including key military leaders, nuclear experts, and civilians.
In retaliation, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards announced they had “successfully” launched a missile attack on Israel and cautioned of impending “effective, targeted, and more devastating operations.”
“The entire shelter shook,” recounted Shlomi Biton, who sheltered with his five children in Haifa. “There were numerous explosions.”
Ido, a student whose home was damaged, described scenes of chaos: “There were about 12 to 13 children in the shelter screaming.”
The Israeli death toll increased by 11 on Monday, according to the prime minister’s office, raising the total since Friday to 24.
The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, reported that the missile barrage had also lightly damaged a building used by the American embassy in Tel Aviv.
In Iran, foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei denounced an Israeli strike that damaged a hospital in Kermanshah as a “war crime,” with earlier reports suggesting a nearby workshop was the target.
Rescuers stand among the wreckage of a damaged building in Tel Aviv.
‘I will not leave’
Iran’s missile attack followed a series of intense Israeli airstrikes across the country, hitting targets from the western border with Iraq to Tehran and even reaching Mashhad, where the airport was affected.
While some residents fled Tehran, others pledged to remain.
“It’s natural for war to induce stress, but I will not leave my city,” stated Shokouh Razzazi, 31, in the capital, where the Grand Bazaar was closed due to ongoing Israeli attacks.
The escalation has raised increasing global anxiety.
China called on both sides to “immediately take measures to defuse tensions” and prevent the region from descending into deeper chaos.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, also urged for calm, informing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that “a negotiated solution is, in the long run, the best solution.”
While she criticized Israel’s campaign in Gaza, she held Iran responsible for the latest escalation, referencing findings from the UN nuclear watchdog that indicate Iran is not in compliance with its obligations.
“In this context, Israel has the right to defend itself. Iran is the main source of regional instability,” she asserted.
In response, Iran called upon the International Atomic Energy Agency to condemn Israeli strikes on its nuclear facilities.
“We expect the IAEA Board of Governors and the director general to take a firm stance in condemning this act and holding the Israeli regime accountable,” declared spokesman Baqaei.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan communicated with his Iranian counterpart via phone, expressing Ankara’s willingness to facilitate an end to the conflict.
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‘Make a deal’
The Israeli military announced on Monday that it had destroyed 120 missile launchers, equivalent to one-third of Iran’s total.
In a televised address, Colonel Reza Sayyad, spokesman for the Iranian armed forces, promised a “devastating response” to Israeli strikes.
“Evacuate the occupied territories (Israel) because they will certainly be uninhabitable in the future,” he stated, adding that shelters would “not guarantee safety.”
President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed Iran’s parliament, urging citizens to “unite and stand strong against this genocidal criminal aggression.”
Watch: Trump expresses hope that Iran and Israel can reach a ceasefire while stating ‘sometimes they have to fight it out.’
US President Donald Trump maintained that Washington had “nothing to do” with Israel’s military campaign but cautioned that any Iranian assault on American interests would invoke “the full strength and might” of the US military.
On Sunday, Trump advised both parties to “make a deal,” while expressing skepticism about immediate peace prospects.
“Sometimes they have to fight it out, but we will see what unfolds,” he remarked.
Latest stories from the Middle East
A senior US official informed AFP that Trump intervened to prevent Israel from assassinating Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“We learned that the Israelis intended to target Iran’s supreme leader. President Trump opposed this and instructed the Israelis not to proceed,” the official commented on the condition of anonymity.
When asked by Fox News if regime change in Iran was one of Israel’s objectives, Netanyahu responded, “It certainly could be the outcome, as the Iranian regime is extremely weak.”
As hostilities escalated, Iran announced it would abort planned nuclear discussions with the United States, deeming dialogue “meaningless” amidst bombardments.
