Iran and Israel unleashed new waves of strikes into each other’s territories, exacerbating the conflict that threatens to upend trade routes, disrupt oil supplies and plunge the region into further instability.
Officials in Tehran and Tel Aviv vowed to launch crushing blows amid reports that Israel struck the South Fars Gas Field, the world’s largest, while Iran targeted Israeli oil facility in Hafsa — a key source of its energy for economy and defense.
On Saturday evening Iranian missiles hit Tel Aviv as Israeli security cabinet met, setting buildings on fire. There were no immediate confirmed reports of injuries or casualties.
Israel said Iran also hit Jerusalem.
Officials in Tel Aviv said that in the Iranian attacks three people were killed Friday overnight into Saturday and over 170 wounded.
Iranian News Agency IRNA said Iran also launched the fifth wave of Iranian missile strikes against locations Tiberias, Golan, and Lower Galilee. According to reports, Iran used drones and ballistic missiles in the attacks.
Israel also employed its iron drone to counter the raining Iranian missiles.
On the other hand, Israel said it inflicted damage on military targets in Tehran, with several reports of explosions.
The military noted it was currently striking “military targets” in Tehran, where Iranian state television said explosions were heard in the city’s east and west.
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Israel, which initiated the conflict on Friday to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability, claimed that it has killed several top Iranian generals, scientists and experts involved in the country nuclear program.
An Israeli army spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Israel had hit more than 400 Irani targets. Of these 40 were carried out in Tehran.
Defense Minister Israel Katz warned if Iran continues to fire missiles at the Israel, Tehran will burn.”
Iran had reported 78 people killed and hundreds injured in the attacks. It also confirmed the killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander General Hossein Salami.
IRNA earlier reported that the Israeli military targeted Iran’s top military brass. Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri and General Salami were among the senior military officials killed in Tehran.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had no choice to strike Iran before it achieves nuclear weapon capability. He argued that if Israel did not act, Iran will attack it and also warned the Israeli attacks thus far were “nothing compared to what they will feel under the sway of our forces in the coming days.”
Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Friday that the Israeli regime “made a grave mistake” by attacking his country that the consequences will render Tel Aviv helpless.
