Iran and Israel Escalate Strikes in Unprecedented Military Confrontation

The long-simmering tension between Iran and Israel erupted into an unprecedented wave of violence this weekend, marking the most intense direct confrontation between the two adversaries in decades. Iranian missile fire on Israel killed at least 10 people overnight, while retaliatory Israeli airstrikes pounded strategic Iranian targets, including two major fuel depots in Tehran, plunging the capital into smoke and chaos.

Across Iranian, the strikes have triggered widespread panic, with long queues forming at gas stations amid fears of fuel shortages. In northwest Tehran, residents watched helplessly as thick plumes of black smoke billowed from a burning fuel storage facility, one of two confirmed to be hit by Israeli fighter jets.

According to the Oil Ministry, the attacks targeted key infrastructure in the capital, further straining an economy already reeling from years of sanctions and internal unrest.

Iran Reports Dozens Dead in Escalating Air Campaign

UN ambassador reported that 78 people were killed and over 320 wounded during the initial Israeli airstrikes launched on Friday. Among the dead, senior military officers and nuclear scientists, including those involved in Tehran’s controversial uranium enrichment program, were reportedly killed.

While Iranian authorities have not released updated casualty figures since Sunday morning, local media confirm that strikes continued across Iran through the night, shaking residential neighborhoods and damaging government facilities.

Israeli forces confirmed they targeted the Iranian Defense Ministry headquarters, as well as nuclear research facilities including the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND). The Natanz uranium enrichment site, one of the most sensitive locations in Iranian’s nuclear network, was also struck, resulting in severe damage, according to Israeli officials.

Speaking to foreign diplomats in Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared that Israel had “crossed a new red line in international law” by striking nuclear facilities — a move that could provoke a wider regional conflict.

“We are defending ourselves. Our defence is entirely legitimate under international law,” Araghchi said. “If the aggression stops, our responses will also stop.”

Araghchi also accused the United States of supporting Israel’s offensive, claiming Tehran had “solid proof” of logistical backing by U.S. forces, though Washington denied direct involvement.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump attempted to distance the U.S. from the escalation, writing on his Truth Social platform that America “had nothing to do” with Israel’s military campaign, while still threatening “the full strength and might” of the U.S. if Iran targets American interests.

Inside Israel, the missile barrage and its regional allies wreaked deadly havoc. In Bat Yam, a city near Tel Aviv, six people were killed and 180 injured in an overnight missile strike that reduced part of a residential block to rubble. Police and emergency workers continued rescue operations into Sunday morning.

In northern Israel, the town of Tamra suffered a similar fate, with four women killed after a building collapsed from a missile hit. The cumulative death toll in Israel since Friday has now risen to 13.

The Israeli military has issued a nationwide warning to Iranian citizens, urging evacuations near weapons storage sites and defense facilities across Iran. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that Israeli forces will “hit every target of the ayatollah regime.”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it launched its own retaliatory strikes on Israeli air bases used for refueling operations. Meanwhile, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they coordinated missile strikes with the military, launching a salvo of drones toward Israel—seven of which were reportedly intercepted.

The expanding conflict has alarmed world leaders. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, warning of the potential for a “devastating war” that could spiral across the Middle East.

In the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the deployment of Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter jets and assets to the region for contingency support, while urging both sides to de-escalate immediately.

Amid the rising violence, Iran officially suspended nuclear negotiations with the United States, stating that dialogue was impossible under active bombardment. Analysts fear that the diplomatic fallout could reverse years of nuclear containment efforts and potentially push Iranian closer to a breakout capability.

With both nations trading deadly blows and rhetoric intensifying, the Middle East teeters on the edge of broader conflict—one that may be harder to contain as proxies and allies are drawn into the firestorm.

Source- EWN