"Striking Ayatollah Regime With Great Force": Fresh Attacks By Israel, Iran
- The Israeli military late Wednesday said sirens were sounded across the country following a missile attack from Iran. It also said that it intercepted a drone that was launched from Iran.
- An Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson said they launched a "new wave of raids" on the Iranian capital, Tehran, and warned residents in two villages - Arak and Khondab - to leave before it struck the "military infrastructure".
- The worst-ever conflict between Israel and Iran began when the Israeli military launched "Operation Rising Lion" last Friday and attacked Iranian cities, saying it had concluded Tehran was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon. More than 250 people, including over 220 in Iran, have been killed in cross-border strikes.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Wednesday said they began the campaign to remove two existential threats to Israel - the nuclear threat and the ballistic missile threat. "We are advancing step by step to remove these threats," he said in a video message.
- Mr Netanyahu said that the Israeli military "controls the skies over Tehran". "We are striking the Ayatollahs' regime with great force. We are attacking nuclear installations, missiles, command centers and the symbols of the regime," he added.
- The Israeli PM also thanked US President Donald Trump, "a great friend of Israel", for standing by Israel's side and for the support in assisting in "defending their skies". "We speak frequently, including last night. We had a very warm conversation. I thank President Trump for his backing."
- Mr Trump on Wednesday declined to say if he had made any decision on whether the US armed forces would join the Israeli military in its campaign against Iran. "I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do," he told reporters outside the White House.
- Senior US officials are also preparing for the possibility of a strike on Iran in the coming days, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The situation is still evolving and could change, they said. Some of the people pointed to potential plans for a weekend strike, according to Bloomberg.
- Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday slammed Mr Trump's call for Iran to surrender. "The US President threatens us. With his absurd rhetoric, he demands that the Iranian people surrender to him. They should make threats against those who are afraid of being threatened. The Iranian nation isn't frightened by such threats," he said in a recorded message on television, his first appearance since Friday.
- Mr Khamenei also said the US entering this "war" is 100% to its "own detriment". "The damage it will suffer will be far greater than any harm that Iran may encounter. The harm the US will suffer will definitely be irreparable if they enter this conflict militarily," he said.
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