For the seventh consecutive day, conflict has escalated between Israel and Iran, with large explosions shaking various locations in Tehran and other Iranian areas, targeting nuclear facilities. Meanwhile, Iran launched multiple warhead missiles at Israel for the first time.
Israeli military officials reported yesterday that around 20 aircraft carried out a series of strikes in western Iran, targeting ground-to-ground missile sites and Iranian forces. The military also observed trucks carrying such missiles and struck them as they approached a launch area.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced the initiation of a new wave of coordinated missile and drone attacks on military targets in Haifa and Tel Aviv. They stated that the impactful and focused missile strikes on military objectives would continue to increase gradually, emphasizing that attacks using offensive and suicide drones would persist.
On the previous day, the Israeli army activated air raid sirens in the north after detecting missiles launched from Iran. They indicated that Iran had utilized a multi-warhead missile, posing a new challenge to their defense systems. Reports from military radio indicated that the missile aimed at the Gush Dan area of Tel Aviv comprised several smaller projectiles.
Earlier, the Ma’ariv newspaper reported that the Israeli army launched an investigation into Iran’s use of a missile with a warhead larger than that of the Shahab-3, noting that the Khorramshahr missile fired by Iran contains over a ton of explosives.
Israel targeted nuclear sites in Iran yesterday, claiming strikes on the Natanz and Isfahan facilities. A military spokesperson initially stated that the attack also hit Bushehr, but clarified later that this information was incorrect.
The potential consequences of an attack on the Bushehr facility, including air and water contamination, have raised concerns among nations in the region, in addition to Moscow’s announcement that 200 Russian nuclear scientists are present at that reactor.
The head of the Russian nuclear energy company warned that an Israeli attack on Bushehr could lead to a “Chernobyl-like catastrophe,” referencing the world’s worst nuclear disaster in 1986 when a reactor in Chernobyl, Ukraine, which was then part of the Soviet Union, exploded.
Earlier, the Israeli army targeted the Khondab nuclear reactor in Arak, Iran, including a heavy water research facility that is still under construction.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that it received information indicating the heavy water research facility had been shelled but noted that it did not contain radioactive materials.
The Iranian Nuclear Energy Organization stated that there were no casualties from this attack, adding that “there is no threat, and local residents were not harmed.”