Tel Aviv: The Israel-Iran conflict entered its second week on Saturday, with Israel launching fresh airstrikes on a nuclear research facility in Iran’s Isfahan city. Reports say Israel is getting ready for a long war and its overnight strikes killed three senior Iranian military commanders. Iran’s deputy governor for security, Akbar Salehi, confirmed that the facility was hit but said there were no casualties.
This fresh round of attacks came after failed talks in Geneva on Friday between Iran’s foreign minister and European leaders over limits on Iran’s nuclear enrichment. Tensions with the US are also rising, as President Donald Trump said he will decide in the next two weeks whether America will take military action.
Top updates
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Amid threats to his life from Israel, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has chosen three religious leaders as possible successors. According to the New York Times, he is also appointing new military leaders to replace top commanders killed in recent Israeli airstrikes. His son Mojtaba is not among the shortlisted names.
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Israel carried out fresh airstrikes on a nuclear facility in Iran’s Isfahan city on Saturday. Three senior Iranian commanders were killed. Smoke was seen near a mountain in the area, and local officials confirmed the site was hit in two separate attacks.
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Strong blasts were reported in Iran’s southwestern city of Ahvaz, where Israel says it struck military sites. Meanwhile, Iran reportedly sent a drone that hit a two-storey house in northern Israel.
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An Iranian official told Reuters that Europe’s suggestions during talks in Geneva on Friday were “unrealistic.” Iran said it will not stop enriching uranium completely, nor will it negotiate over its missile program. The official added that Iran welcomes diplomacy but not while under threat of war.
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French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to Iran’s new President Masoud Pezeshkian by phone. Macron said Iran must never develop nuclear weapons and should prove that its nuclear program is peaceful. He added that talks with Iran will move faster.
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Internet access in Iran dropped again on Saturday. NetBlocks, a group that tracks internet shutdowns, said the situation is severe. Iran’s minister later said that international internet access would return by 8 pm local time.
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Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi warned that if the US joins Israel in attacking Iran, it would be “very, very dangerous for everyone.” He said Iran no longer trusts the US and would hit back if America joins the war.
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A top advisor to Khamenei said Iran will “make the IAEA chief pay” after the war. This was directed at Rafael Grossi, head of the UN nuclear watchdog, who had said Iran has enough material to build a bomb—though they may not plan to use it. Iranian officials say his comments helped trigger Israeli strikes.
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Iran’s health ministry said over 400 people have died due to Israeli strikes in the past week, and over 3,000 have been injured. A US-based human rights group claims the death toll is higher—around 657—of which 263 were civilians.
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Iran said it has arrested 22 people in Qom province for links to Israeli intelligence and for spreading panic. A European national has also been arrested. Iran confirmed for the first time that it has detained a German cyclist, accusing him of spying.
