Israeli Defense Minister warns that if Iran continues to retaliate against the attack, “Tehran will burn”

Israeli Defense Minister warned on Saturday if Iran continues Launch missiles at Israel. Iran’s retaliatory strike comes after Israel launched a series of bubble attacks on Iran’s nuclear program and armed forces on Thursday.

Defence Minister Katz spoke after an assessment meeting with the Army Chief of Staff that Iran would pay a huge price to harm Israeli citizens. At least three people died in Israel and dozens were injured, IDF officials said Saturday morning. At least 78 people died and hundreds were injured in Israel’s strike, the Iranian United Nations ambassador said.

Katz said: “If (Iranian supreme leader Ayatolla Ali) Khamenei continues to launch missiles at Israel’s home court – Tehran will burn.”

Iran State TV reported online that the cities of Horamabad, Kelmansa and Tabiris are on fire. Tabriz’s video shows black smoke rising from the city.

Israeli military officials said Saturday that the military was preparing to conduct more strikes in Iran, saying: “It’s not over yet.” He spoke on anonymously, according to official procedures.

According to officials, Israel’s initial attacks used fighter jets, as well as early smuggling of drones to the country to attack critical facilities and kill top generals and scientists. Israel’s military said on Saturday it killed nine senior scientists and experts involved in Iran’s nuclear program.

“The eliminated people have achieved the core of progress in nuclear weapons,” the IDF said in a press release. “Their elimination is a major blow to the Iranian regime’s ability to obtain weapons of mass destruction.”

Iran retaliated by the wave of launching drones and ballistic missiles in Israel, the explosion ignited the night sky in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and shocked the buildings below. The Israeli military urged civilians to inspire 20 months of war in Hamas’ October 7 attack, which has been traveling to shelters for hours in the 20-month war in Gaza. U.S. officials confirmed to CBS news that U.S. troops helped Israel intercept Iranian missiles on Friday.

Both Israel and Iran say their attacks will continue, which adds to the prospect of another protracted Middle East conflict. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that his goal is to remove any threat to Israel, but he also urged Iranians to compete with their leaders. Even if the government does not actively seek it, Israel welcomes the overthrow of the government.

“It’s time to unite you in the flag and historic legacy to defend yourself from the freedom of evil and oppressive regimes,” Netanyahu said on Friday. “It’s never weak. It’s your chance to stand up and hear your voice.”

Strikes could derail U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations

Israel’s strike also led to further negotiations between the nuclear deal between the United States and Iran, which will then meet in Oman on Sunday. State TV said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said further nuclear negotiations with the United States were “meaningless” after Israel’s strike against the country.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States was not involved in Israel’s initial strike and his priority was to protect U.S. assets in the Middle East. State Council Thursday Tell several US alliance governments in the Middle East in advance Israeli strike against Iranfour sources told CBS News.

“The United States has done a job that makes negotiations meaningless,” he added that Israel has committed “criminal acts” through strikes, passing all Iran’s red lines.

However, he no longer said that the negotiations were cancelled. “It is not clear what we have to do with Sunday’s talks,” Mizan News Agency, chaired by the Iranian judiciary, quoted him as saying.

President Trump urged Iran on Friday to reach a deal on its nuclear program, warning him about the truth about the social platform that the Israeli attacks “only get worse.”

“Iran must reach an agreement before nothing is left,” he wrote.

Will Todman, chief of staff of the Geopolitical and Foreign Policy department and senior fellow at the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told CBS News that Mr. Trump “has made a lot of effort in nuclear talks with Iran” but “seem to be frustrated by the lack of success in these negotiations.”

“Iranians tend to negotiate very slowly. Concessions are very slow,” Toddman said. “So, I think he is now seeing these military actions in Israel as a way to increase pressure to make concessions to Iran and eventually reach an agreement.”

Iran missile strikes Israel

“We will not allow them to get rid of the enormous crimes they committed,” Khamenei said in a recording message on Friday.

Iran launched a missile wave in Israel on Friday and early Saturday. The Iranians woke up on Saturday to broadcast to state television, playing recurring strike clips on Israel, and videos of people cheering and distributing candy. Israeli troops said more drones were intercepted near the Dead Sea in the early hours of Saturday.

A hospital in Tel Aviv injured seven people in the second Iranian barrage. All except one of them were slightly injured. Israel’s fire and rescue services said they were injured when the projectiles hit a building in the city. A spokesman for Bellinson Hospital said a woman was killed.

A few hours later, an Iranian missile attacked a house in the central Israeli city of Lesson, killing two people and injuring 19 people, according to Israeli caregiver David Adom. Israel’s Fire and Rescue Bureau said four homes were severely damaged.

Israel’s major international airport said it will remain closed on Saturday until further notice.

Meanwhile, shortly after midnight, explosions and Iranian air defense systems were heading for targets spread throughout central Tehran. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported a fire at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran. A video posted on X shows a column of smoke and flames rising, and what the media is talking about is the airport.

The Israeli military said it ran dozens of targets including air defense overnight, “in the Tehran region.”

Israeli care workers service said 34 people were injured in the barrage in Tel Aviv area, with one woman injured after being trapped in the rubble. In Ramat Gan, east of Tel Aviv, an Associated Press reporter saw burned cars and at least three damaged houses, including one that had almost completely torn the front.

Residents of the central Israeli city that was hit Friday night told the Associated Press that the explosion was so powerful that the shelter doors were opened. “We think that’s it, the house has gone, and actually half of the house has disappeared, it collapses,” Moshe Shani said.

A U.S. ground air defense system in the region is helping to shoot down Iranian missiles, a U.S. official said he spoke on anonymously to discuss the measures.

The ongoing air strikes in Israel and Iran’s retaliation have raised concerns about a full-scale war between the two countries and pushed areas already on the edge into greater unrest. There is no sign of an end to the 20-month war between Israel and Gaza. At least 27 people were killed on an Israeli strike in Gaza on Friday, according to local hospitals.

Strikes aroused fear of almighty war

The country in the region condemns the Israeli attack, while global leaders call for immediate downgrade from both sides.

Israel has long threatened such strikes, which later the U.S. government tried to prevent, fear that it would cause wider conflicts throughout the Middle East and could ineffectively undermine Iran’s spread and strong nuclear program.

But the confluence of developments triggered by Hamas’s October 7 attacks – coupled with Mr. Trump’s re-election – created the conditions that will eventually lead Israel to follow its threat. Netanyahu said the United States had been informed before the attack.

On Thursday, the UN Atomic Observatory failed to comply with a condemnation aimed at preventing its nuclear weapons from developing.

The above ground parts of the Natanz facility were destroyed

The main site of the Israeli attack was Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz, where black smoke can be seen rising into the air. According to Iranian news media, it also appeared to have attacked Fordo’s second smaller nuclear enrichment facility in a nearby government.

Israel said it also attacked a nuclear research institute in Isfahan and said it destroyed dozens of radar devices in western Iran and missile launchers on the surface into the air. Iran confirmed the strike in Isfahan.

UN nuclear director Rafael Grossi told the Council that the above-ground parts of the Natanz facility were destroyed. He said the main centrifugal facilities underground didn’t seem to have been hit, but losing power could damage the infrastructure there.

Netanyahu said the attack had been ongoing for several months and was scheduled to be postponed in April.

Israel’s Mossad spy agency has positioned the blasted drones and precision weapons in advance and used to target Iran’s defense capabilities and missile launchers near Tehran, two security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

It is impossible to independently confirm these claims.

Over the past year, Israel has been targeting Iran’s air defense system, with air defense batteries built for Russia hitting the radar system in April 2024 and surface to air missile and missile manufacturing facilities in October.

According to Israeli military officials, the first wave of strikes gave Israel a “important freedom of movement” in the sky of Iran, clearing the way for further attacks.

Israel is ready for an action that lasts for two weeks, but there is no solid timeline, the official said.

Among them are three of Iran’s supreme military leaders: General Mohammad Bagheri who oversees the entire armed forces; a man who leads General Hossein Salami, the paramilitary revolutionary guard; and General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the guard ballistic missile program.

Iran confirmed on Saturday that two representatives of Bagri were also killed: General Gholamreza Mehrabi, deputy intelligence representative of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, and General Mehdi Rabbani, deputy operational deputy.

Khamenei appointed a new leader in the Revolutionary Guard aviation sector on Saturday. General Majid Mousavi will replace General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who was killed in an air strike on Friday. The Guard’s aerospace division oversees Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal.