Israel unleashed airstrikes across Iran for a third day Sunday and threatened even greater force as some Iranian missiles evaded Israeli air defences to strike buildings in the heart of the country.
Planned talks on Iran’s nuclear programme, which could provide an off-ramp, were cancelled.
The region braced for a protracted conflict after Israel’s surprise bombardment Friday of Iranian nuclear and military sites killed several top generals and nuclear scientists. Neither side showed any sign of backing down.
Iran said Israel struck two oil refineries, raising the prospect of a broader assault on Iran’s heavily sanctioned energy industry that could affect global markets. The Israeli military, in a social media post, warned Iranians to evacuate arms factories, signalling a further widening of the campaign.
Israel, the sole though undeclared nuclear-armed state in the Middle East, said it launched the attack to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. The two countries have been adversaries for decades.
Explosions shook Iran’s capital, Tehran, around noon and again around 3:30 p.m. Semiofficial news agencies close to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard reported one strike in the area of Vali-e Asr Square downtown and another in a neighbourhood named for the air force, which is headquartered there.
Sirens went off across much of Israel again around 4 p.m., warning of what would be Iran’s first daytime assault since the fighting began. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
US President Donald Trump has expressed full support for Israel’s actions while warning Iran that it can avoid further destruction only by agreeing to a new nuclear deal.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that if Israel’s strikes on Iran stop, then “our responses will also stop”. He said the United States “is a partner in these attacks and must take responsibility”.
Iran’s UN ambassador said Saturday that 78 people had been killed and more than 320 wounded. There has been no official update since then.
Israel said 14 people there have been killed and 390 wounded. Iran has fired over 270 missiles, 22 of which got through the country’s sophisticated multi-tiered air defences to make impact, according to Israeli figures. The country’s main international airport and airspace remained closed for a third day.
Israeli strikes targeted Iran’s Defence Ministry early Sunday after hitting air defences, military bases and sites associated with its nuclear programme.
The killing of several top generals and nuclear scientists in targeted strikes indicated that Israeli intelligence has penetrated Iran at the highest levels.
Araghchi said Israel targeted an oil refinery near Tehran and another in a province on the Persian Gulf. He said Iran targeted “economic” sites in Israel, without elaborating.
Semiofficial Iranian news agencies reported that an Israeli drone strike caused a “strong explosion” at an Iranian natural gas processing plant. The extent of damage at the South Pars natural gas field was not immediately clear. Such sites have air-defence systems around them, which Israel has been targeting.
In a sign that Iran expects Israeli strikes to continue, state television reported that metro stations and mosques would be made available as bomb shelters beginning Sunday night.
In Israel, at least six people, including a 10-year-old and a 9-year-old, were killed when a missile hit an apartment building in Bat Yam, near Tel Aviv. Daniel Hadad, a local police commander, said 180 people were wounded and seven were missing.
An Associated Press reporter saw streets lined with damaged or destroyed buildings, bombed-out cars and shards of glass. Some people could be seen leaving with suitcases.
Another four people, including a 13-year-old, were killed and 24 wounded when a missile struck a building in the Arab town of Tamra in northern Israel. A strike on the central city of Rehovot wounded 42.
The Weizmann Institute of Science, an important centre for research in Rehovot, reported “a number of hits to buildings on the campus”.
It said no one was harmed.
An oil refinery was damaged in the northern Israeli city of Haifa, according to the firm operating it, which said no one was wounded.
Iran’s Foreign Minister called the nuclear talks “unjustifiable” after Israel’s strikes.
In a social media post early Sunday, Trump reiterated that the US was not involved in the attacks on Iran and warned that any retaliation directed against it would bring an American response “at levels never seen before”.
“However, we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict!!!” he wrote.
Meanwhile, All Indians in Israel are safe and the embassy is constantly monitoring the situation and the safety of its nationals amid a conflict with Iran, the Indian mission said on Sunday.
Embassy sources said that it has set up a 24*7 helpline and is maintaining contact with members of the community.
Emphasising that the “safety and security of Indian nationals is paramount to us”, the mission in a fresh advisory issued on Sunday advised its nationals to “stay vigilant, strictly avoid any unnecessary movement and adhere to safety protocols as advised by the Israeli authorities and home front command”.
“The Embassy of India in Tel Aviv is in touch with members of the Indian community in Israel, including caregivers, workers, students, businessmen and tourist groups,” the mission said in a release.
“The embassy continues to monitor the situation closely and is in regular touch with the Israeli authorities,” it said.
Indian billionaire Gautam Adani-led also group’s Haifa port in Israel was unharmed by the Iranian ballistic missile attack, with cargo operations progressing unhampered, sources said.
Late on Saturday night, Iran targeted Israel’s Haifa port and a nearby oil refinery in response to Tel Avi’s attack on Iranian nuclear and other targets earlier this week.
Sharpnels fell in the chemical terminal at the port and some other projectiles fell at the oil refinery, two sources aware of the matter said. They claimed there were no injuries.
Adani’s port, however, was not impacted by the strike.
A piece of interceptor shrapnel was also found at the Kishan West (Haifa port) but there were no injuries, they said. (PTI)
