WASHINGTON/DUBAI/OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: In a major escalation, Israel launched airstrikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities Thursday, including the Khondab reactor near Arak and components near Natanz. The attacks mark Israel’s most extensive offensive against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue until Tehran’s nuclear programme is destroyed.
Meanwhile, Iranian missile retaliation struck populated areas in southern Israel, damaging Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba and injuring dozens. Israeli officials confirmed five people were seriously wounded. Iranian forces claimed they targeted military and intelligence hubs near the hospital.
The week-long conflict has killed hundreds in Iran and at least two dozen civilians in Israel. It is the first time in decades of shadow war that Iranian missiles have directly hit Israeli cities, with significant impacts reported in Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan.
Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz announced plans to intensify military operations to destabilise the Iranian regime. Netanyahu warned that Tehran's "tyrants" would pay the full price, describing Iran as an existential threat.
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation confirmed attacks on nuclear sites but reported no casualties due to prior evacuations. It condemned the strikes as violations of international law and reiterated its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.
As tensions mount, oil prices surged amid fears of broader regional conflict. Trails of intercepting missiles and explosions lit the skies over Tel Aviv, with damage to homes and embassies reported.
Amid the crisis, U.S. President Donald Trump has kept the global community in suspense, refusing to confirm whether Washington will join the Israeli campaign. "I may do it. I may not do it," he told reporters, adding Iranian officials had expressed interest in talks, which he suggested may be too late.
Trump has oscillated between proposing diplomacy and threatening Iran’s leadership. Talks between the U.S. and Iran were cancelled, while European diplomats plan a Friday meeting with Iran’s foreign minister in Geneva to revive negotiations.
The expanding conflict risks igniting a broader Middle East war, with Israel already battling Hamas, Hezbollah, and Yemen’s Houthis on multiple fronts.
