Israeli warplanes have reportedly struck Iran’s capital overnight, targeting a facility producing uranium centrifuges and another manufacturing missile components, according to military sources.
Israel intercepted ten missiles overnight as Iran’s retaliatory attacks lessened.
Iran has warned that any US intervention in the conflict would risk “all-out war in the region”.
Israel is conducting intense attacks on Iran’s nuclear program and military sites, commencing with a surprise bombardment on Friday.
An Iranian human rights group based in Washington claims at least 585 people have died, including 239 civilians, with over 1,300 injured.
Shops are closed across Tehran, including the Grand Bazaar, as people queue for petrol and attempt to leave the city due to the ongoing attacks.
Iran has launched approximately 400 missiles and hundreds of drones in retaliation, resulting in at least 24 deaths and hundreds of injuries in Israel.
Some missiles have struck apartment buildings in central Israel, causing significant damage, and air raid sirens have repeatedly forced Israelis into shelters.
Iran has been launching fewer missiles in recent barrages, with only a small number fired on Wednesday. The reason for this decrease remains unexplained, but it follows Israeli strikes targeting Iranian launch sites.
Attention is focused on Washington, where US President Donald Trump initially distanced himself from the Israeli attacks but has since suggested greater American involvement, expressing a desire for something “much bigger” than a ceasefire. The US has also deployed additional warplanes to the region.
The Washington-based Human Rights Activists group reports identifying 239 of those killed in Israeli strikes as civilians and 126 as security personnel.
The group, which also provided detailed casualty figures during the 2022 protests over Mahsa Amini’s death, verifies local reports through a network of sources within the country.
Iran has not been regularly publishing death tolls during the conflict and has historically minimized casualties. Their last update, released on Monday, reported 224 deaths and 1,277 injuries.
A significant explosion was reported around 5 am local time (2.30 am BST) in Tehran on Wednesday morning, following earlier explosions during the night. Iranian authorities have not acknowledged these attacks, a pattern that has become more frequent as Israeli air strikes intensify.
At least one strike appeared to target Tehran’s eastern Hakimiyeh area, home to a Revolutionary Guard academy.
Israel claims the strikes aim to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, following limited progress in talks between the United States and Iran over a diplomatic resolution despite ongoing negotiations for two months.
Mr. Trump stated that Israel’s campaign began after a 60-day period he had set for the talks.
Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful, despite being the only non-nuclear-armed state enriching uranium up to 60%, which is a short technical step from the 90% weapons-grade level. US intelligence agencies have stated they do not believe Iran is actively pursuing a nuclear weapon.
As the conflict enters its sixth day, neither side has indicated any intention of de-escalating.
“We will show the Zionists no mercy,” declared Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a post on his official X account.
“A storm is passing over Tehran,” posted Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz. “This is how dictatorships collapse.”
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