On Saturday, Iran launched early morning strikes on central Israel, igniting a fire in the city of Holon — a day after it declared it would not resume nuclear negotiations while under attack.
The Israel-Iran war, which began on 13 June after Israel launched “preemptive strikes” against Tehran, has entered its ninth day.
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The casualties since both countries began firing drones and missiles at each other have grown significantly. The Israeli government has reported 24 deaths and over 300 persons injured. Iran says over 220 people have been killed in Iran and hundreds injured. However, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), a Washington-based organisation that has been monitoring Iran for years, has reported that about 639 people have been killed in the country.
While the Israeli government claimed its attacks on Tehran have set back Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the country’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has refuted this by stating that Iran’s nuclear programme is intact and peaceful.
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During a meeting with European countries in Geneva on Friday, Mr Araghchi stated that Iran remained open to diplomacy despite Israel’s offensive, but insisted the attacks must cease first.
However, Israel’s military chief, Eyal Zamir, has warned that the country must prepare for a “prolonged campaign” against Iran, as Israeli strikes continue.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has said his Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was “wrong” to testify that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon.
In March, Ms Gabbard told the US Congress that assessments showed Iran was not building a nuclear weapon and that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had not reauthorised the country’s suspended nuclear weapons programme.
But Mr Trump on Friday dismissed the assessment, saying, “I don’t care what she said. I think they’re very close to having it,” Al Jazeera quoted him as saying.
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Ms Gabbard, following Mr Trump’s comment, has changed her stance and also accused the media of taking her testimony “out of context.”
In a post on X, she said, “America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalize the assembly. President Trump has been clear that can’t happen, and I agree.”
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned of potential “radiological and chemical contamination” after strikes on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility.
The nuclear watchdog also told the UN Security Council that an Israeli strike on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant could trigger a nuclear disaster.
Still, President Trump is currently considering whether to become involved in the conflict.
The White House announced on Thursday that he will make a decision within the next two weeks.
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