The conflict between Israel and Iran has intensified, with both countries exchanging heavy fire for the third consecutive day. Iran has launched a new wave of ballistic missiles against Israel, following loud explosions in Tehran. The latest salvo saw an Iranian missile light up the sky above the Israeli port city of Haifa, prompting Iran’s armed forces to advise residents to leave the vicinity of “vital areas” for their safety.
Israel’s National Emergency Service reported at least seven people injured in Haifa, with projectiles landing in the city and explosions reported on impact. Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran, noted, “Iran has not experienced a war to this extent since the Iran-Iraq War ended in 1988.
There were similar Israeli strikes last year, of course, but nothing compared to what’s been happening since Friday.” He added, “The government said earlier today that metro stations, schools, and mosques are going to be ready to host people. But parts of these facilities, including mosques and schools, do not seem safe enough to be used as a sort of shelter.”
According to Iranian officials, at least 138 people have been killed in Israel’s onslaught since Friday, including 60 on Saturday, half of them children, when a missile brought down a 14-storey apartment block in Tehran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that “Iran will pay a heavy price for the murder of civilians, women, and children,” speaking from a balcony overlooking blown-out apartments in Bat Yam, a city just south of Tel Aviv.
In Israel, authorities reported that several missiles were launched from Iran, most of which were intercepted. Rescue workers were searching for survivors in the rubble from the previous night’s wave of Iranian strikes, with the hardest-hit area being the town of Bat Yam, where more than 60 buildings were damaged.
Newsmen reports from Amman, Jordan, observed, “The damage from Iranian attacks is certainly extensive and unprecedented. This is the first time that Israel has confronted a state with a formidable army in the region, certainly the first time since 1973 [against Egypt]”
As both parties continue to exchange strikes, hopes for a diplomatic solution seem distant. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated at a press conference in Tehran that Tehran does not seek to expand the conflict to neighboring countries unless forced to. He reaffirmed Iran’s opposition to nuclear weapons but defended its right to peaceful nuclear development.
Araghchi also accused Israel of derailing diplomatic progress between Iran and the US, saying, “We have well-documented and solid evidence of the support provided by American forces in the region and their bases for the military attacks of the Zionist regime”
US President Donald Trump hinted at both peace coming “soon” and the possibility of the United States joining the conflict. “If we are attacked in any way, shape, or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the U.S. Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before,” Trump said in a message on Truth Social. He also claimed peace could be reached “soon,” suggesting that many diplomatic meetings were taking place.
The conflict’s escalation has raised concerns about the global economy and the functioning of the Iranian state. The Group of Seven summit beginning Monday in Canada is likely to prioritize diplomatic efforts to address the crisis. As the situation continues to unfold, the international community remains watchful, hoping for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.