Flames rise from an oil storage facility after it was struck by an Israeli missile in Tehran, Iran, early Sunday. Photo : CNN
It’s early Sunday morning in the Middle East. In Israel, emergency responders are conducting search and rescue operations and medical evacuations after Iran launched a wave of drone and missile strikes overnight.
Israel’s overnight strikes on Iran also hit a number of targets, including the country’s defense ministry headquarters. “Tehran is burning,” Israel’s defense minister posted on X late Saturday.
Here’s what we know so far.
Iran’s strikes: The death toll in Israel from overnight strikes into Sunday stands at eight so far. Those killed range in age from 10 to 80 years old. In the central Israeli city of Bat Yam, a building was directly hit, killing at least four people. Other buildings in the area were also damaged, with at least 140 injured across central Israel. Other strikes took place in northern Israel, including the Palestinian-Israeli town of Tamra where a residential building was hit, also killing four people.
Israel’s strikes: Israel also launched overnight strikes, hitting the Iranian Ministry of Defense headquarters in Tehran. The Israeli military said it also targeted other locations that “advanced” Iran’s nuclear program. Israeli strikes also hit an oil depot and a fuel tank near Tehran on Saturday, causing a large fire – but the situation is “under control,” according to Iran’s state media IRNA. There have been no reports on casualties from the overnight strikes so far, but Iran previously said at least 78 people had been killed by Israeli strikes in recent days.
Weeks-long operation: The Israeli operation against Iran is expected to take “weeks, not days” and is moving forward with the implicit approval of the United States, according to White House and Israeli officials. The administration of US President Donald Trump has not critiqued the weeks-long timeframe in private discussions, an Israeli official told CNN. A White House official said the administration was aware and implicitly supportive of Israel’s plans.
Netanyahu’s address: In a televised speech on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country would continue its operation “for as many days as it takes” to eliminate Iran’s nuclear threat. The Israeli military claims it has destroyed Iran’s ballistic missile launch sites and stockpiles.
Iran’s response: Tehran, which insists its nuclear program is peaceful, says it has “no option but to respond.” Its elite military wing, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, threatened to intensify its attacks if Israel continued hostilities.
Source : CNN