Israel-Iran War: A series of powerful explosions rocked eastern Tehran on Wednesday afternoon, marking the sixth day of escalating conflict between long-standing adversaries Iran and Israel, an AFP journalist reported. Around 3:50 pm local time, at least five plumes of smoke were visible across the east and southeast areas of the Iranian capital following the blasts.
Israel says it has struck 40 sites in Iran today, including centrifuge production and weapons facilities, while Iran launched a swarm of drones at Israel.
Iran’s Security Headquarters Destroyed?
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that air force jets had destroyed Iran’s “internal security headquarters” after the army announced it was striking military targets in Tehran.
“Air Force jets have just destroyed the internal security headquarters of the Iranian regime — the main arm of repression of the Iranian dictator,” Katz said in a statement, vowing to “strike symbols of governance and hit the Ayatollah regime wherever it may be”.
US-Russia in Talks: ‘Millimetres Away from Catastrophe’
Russia and the US are in contact regarding the conflict, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.
He earlier warned that direct US military assistance to Israel could radically destabilise the situation in the Middle East, where an air war between Iran and Israel has raged for six days.
A short while ago, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the world is “millimetres away from catastrophe” due to daily Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Donald Trump to Strike Iran?
The US president has been speaking to reporters on the lawn of the White House. Asked if the US was moving closer to striking Iranian nuclear facilities, Trump replied: “I can’t say that … You don’t seriously think I’m going to answer that question.”
“You don’t know that I’m going to even do it. You don’t know. I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do,” he said.
“I can tell you this – Iran’s got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate. And I said, ‘Why didn’t you negotiate with me before – all this death and destruction.’ Why didn’t you negotiate? I said to the people, ‘Why didn’t you negotiate with me two weeks ago? You could have done fine. You would have had a country.’”
‘Next Week Will be Big’: Trump
I’ve had it, next week will be big: Trump’s tough words for Iran amid conflict with Israel
Death toll from Israel-Iran Conflict
The death toll from Israel’s attacks on Iran has risen to more than 240, including 70 women and children. More than 24 people have been killed in Iranian attacks on Israel.