MORE ABOUT IRAN AND ISRAEL LAUNCH NEW ATTACKS
Early on Saturday, Iran and Israel traded more strikes; Tehran declared it would not negotiate over its nuclear program under threat, while Europe sought to keep peace negotiations alive.
According to Iran’s Fars news agency, one of the largest nuclear plants in the country, Israel had attacked the Isfahan facility; yet, there was no hazardous material leak. With first reports of a 16-year-old dead and two others injured, Iranian media also claimed Israel had targeted a building in the city of Qom.
The Israeli military claimed it has started a barrage of strikes targeting Iranian missile storage and launch facilities.
Shortly after 2:30 a.m. in Israel (2330 GMT on Friday), the Israeli military issued air raid sirens across areas of central Israel, including Tel Aviv, as well as in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, warning of an approaching missile attack from Iran.
Over Tel Aviv, intercepts were evident in the heavens as Israel’s air defense systems replied with explosions ringing over the city.
Said Magen David Adom, the national emergency service of Israel, sirens also sounded in southern Israel. An Israeli military spokesman claimed Iran had fired five ballistic missiles and that no immediate evidence of any missile impacts could be found.
Israel did not initially record any casualties. Images depicting a fire on the roof of a multi-storey residential building in central Israel were published by the emergency service. Local media said that an intercepted missile’s debris started the fire.
REVIEWS OF IRAN NUCLEAR PROGRAMME
Israel started bombing Iran on June 13, Saying its long-standing nemesis was on near development of nuclear weapons. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel, claiming its nuclear program is solely for peaceful uses.
Most people agree Israel has nuclear weapons. It does not either confirm nor refute this.
Human Rights Activists News Agency, a U.S.-based human rights organisation tracking Iran, claims that its air strikes have killed 639 individuals in Iran. Among the dead are nuclear scientists and upper echelon of military personnel.
Authorities in Israel claim that 24 citizens have been dead by Iranian missile strikes.
On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump declared he believed Iran might get a nuclear weapon “within a matter of weeks, or certainly within a matter of months”. “We can’t let that happen,” he said to Morristown, New Jersey, airport reporters.
He said Tulsi Gabbard, his head of national intelligence, was incorrect in implying there was no proof Iran is developing a nuclear weapon.
Iran has regularly targeted Tel Aviv, a metropolitan area of around 4 million people and the nation’s financial and economic center, where some crucial military installations are also situated.
On Friday, Israel claimed to have hit scores of military targets including military facilities in western and central Iran, missile manufacturing sites, a research facility allegedly engaged in nuclear weapon development in Tehran, and others.
According to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, “until Israeli aggression stops” conversations with the United States had no place. But he came in Geneva on Friday for negotiations with European foreign ministers during which Europe wants to find a road back to diplomacy.
SCANT PROGRESS IN GENEVA
Trump underlined that he would take up to two weeks to decide whether the United States should join the war on Israel’s side, allowing time “to see whether or not people come to their senses”.
Trump claimed he was not likely to compel Israel to cut back on its bombings in order to enable ongoing negotiations.
” Making that request right now seems somewhat difficult. Although it’s a little more difficult if someone is winning than if someone is losing, we are ready, willing and able, and we have been talking to Iran; hence, we will see what happens.”
Little indication of development came from the Geneva negotiations, and Trump expressed uncertainty on whether negotiators could get a truce.
“Iran wants no conversation with Europe. Trump added, Europe is not going to be able to assist with this one.
According to the U.S. State Department, hundreds of Americans have left Iran since the air campaign started.
Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, informed the Security Council on Friday his nation would not stop attacking “until Iran’s nuclear threat is dismantled”.
Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s U.N. representative, urged Security Council action and claimed Tehran was worried about news suggesting the United States would enter the war.
China and Russia sought quick de-escalation.
Iran was open to consider restrictions on uranium enrichment, according a senior Iranian official, but it would reject any proposal that forbade entirely uranium enrichment “especially now under Israel’s strikes”.
