Iran, Israel exchange missiles, drone strikes in latest escalation

Iran and Israel have exchanged ballistic missiles and drone strikes in the latest escalation between the two longtime foes, continuing attacks as the international community hopes for the situation to de-escalate. 

In its barrage of strikes on Saturday, the Israeli military reportedly targeted Iran’s major energy facilities and Tehran’s expanding nuclear program. 

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it had completed strikes on Iran’s Ministry of Defense headquarters, the “headquarters of the SPND nuclear project” and other targets, “which advanced the Iranian regime’s efforts to obtain a nuclear weapon and where the Iranian regime hid its nuclear archive.” 

Israeli military struck the Shahran depot, The New York Times reported, citing Iran’s oil ministry. Israel also struck the Shahr Rey oil refinery, according to Iran’s state media. 

“According to initial reports, the fuel levels in both tanks were not high, and the situation is fully under control,” the Islamic Republic News Agency reported on Saturday.

IDF’s drone hit the world’s biggest natural gas field, South Pars, located in the Persian Gulf, according to Iran’s state media. The ownership is shared between Iran and Qatar. 

Israeli air defense systems were intercepting Iranian missiles. 

The death toll from Iranian ballistic missiles and drone strikes in Israel went up to seven. Three women were killed in Western Galilee, Israel’s northwest corner, after a rocket strike hit near a residential building, according to Magen David Adom, the Jewish State’s national emergency service. In central Israel, one woman in her 60s passed away. 

The conflict started on Thursday night when Israel launched a heavy barrage of strikes on Iran, targeting the country’s nuclear program and taking out several top Iranian generals. The Israeli attack also killed dozens of Iranian nuclear scientists. 

Iran retaliated by launching a series of ballistic missiles that were seen hitting major population centers, including Tel Aviv. The United States said that it was not involved in Israel’s initial attack on Iran Thursday night, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The U.S. military was assisting Israel in shooting down missiles once Iran retaliated on Friday. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a meeting with his security cabinet on Saturday as Jerusalem and Tehran exchanged strikes, according to a photo released by the Israeli government.