Tensions between Israel and Iran reached a dangerous new high yesterday, as Israel issued a stark warning to Tehran, vowing devastating consequences if attacks on Israeli civilians continue. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz declared that Tehran would face destruction if Iran persists in launching missile assaults, stating that the Iranian leadership is “turning its citizens into hostages” and putting them at risk of catastrophic retaliation.
This threat followed a pre-dawn Israeli airstrike on Iranian territory, specifically targeting a nuclear facility. The United States, through then-President Donald Trump, described the Israeli operation as successful and urged Iran to engage in nuclear negotiations before it’s too late. However, Tehran has since suspended the anticipated nuclear talks with Washington and responded with a volley of retaliatory missile attacks against Israel.
In response, Israel took swift measures, closing its airspace and shutting down diplomatic missions globally to prepare for potential Iranian reprisals. Several international airlines canceled flights over Middle Eastern airspace on Friday due to the hostilities. However, airspaces in Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria were reopened on Saturday.
Delivering a chilling message, Defence Minister Katz warned: “If Ayatollah Khamenei continues to fire missiles toward the Israeli home front, Tehran will burn.” Reinforcing this stance, Israeli military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said Israel had secured “aerial freedom of action from western Iran to Tehran,” effectively threatening Iran’s capital with further military action.
The Israeli military confirmed that its recent strikes had destroyed multiple missile launchers and air defence systems across Iran. The military’s leadership, including the Chief of Staff and Air Force Chief, emphasized that their “path to Tehran” was now open and that air force jets were on standby to continue operations.
Iran, meanwhile, reported heavy casualties. According to Iran’s UN ambassador, 78 people were killed and 320 injured in Friday’s initial wave of Israeli attacks. On Saturday, Iranian media announced the deaths of two members of the Revolutionary Guards in an Israeli strike on a central Iranian military base.
Amid mounting national anger, Iran urged its citizens to unite in defending the country, while Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu provocatively called on the Iranian people to rise against their regime.
Further escalating the geopolitical stakes, Iran issued a warning through its Mehr news agency to Britain, France, and the United States: any involvement in defending Israel would result in direct Iranian retaliation against their regional military bases.
Overnight, air raid sirens and explosions echoed across Israeli cities, sending residents scrambling into bomb shelters. Israel confirmed that three people had died and 76 others were injured due to Iran’s ongoing missile attacks, with dozens of projectiles intercepted mid-air.
Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, told CNN that Iran had launched around 150 ballistic missiles in three waves on Friday and cautioned that Iran’s arsenal — estimated at around 2,000 ballistic missiles — may be used in continued assaults.
With fears of a broader regional war intensifying, international leaders urged restraint. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres posted on X (formerly Twitter), calling for an immediate ceasefire: “Enough escalation. Time to stop. Peace and diplomacy must prevail.” Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV appealed for both nations to act with “responsibility and reason” in the face of a growing crisis.
