ISRAEL
SAYS IT’S PREPARING FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF A LENGTHY WAR AGAINST IRAN
TEL
AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel ‘s military said Saturday it was preparing
for the possibility of a lengthy war, while Iran’s foreign minister warned that
U.S. military involvement “would be very, very dangerous for everyone.”
The prospect of a wider war threatened,
too. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said they would resume
attacks on U.S. vessels in the Red Sea if the Trump administration joins
Israel’s military campaign. The Houthis paused such attacks in May under
a deal with the U.S.
The U.S. ambassador to Israel announced
the U.S. has begun “assisted departure flights,” the first from
Israel since the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war
in Gaza.
Israel’s military said it struck an Iranian nuclear
research facility overnight and killed three senior Iranian commanders in
pursuit of its goal to destroy Iran’s nuclear program. Smoke rose near a
mountain in Isfahan, where the province’s deputy governor for security affairs,
Akbar Salehi, confirmed Israeli strikes damaged the facility.
The target was a centrifuge production
site, Israel’s military said. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed
the attack and said the facility — also targeted in the war’s first day — was
“extensively damaged,” but that there was no risk of off-site contamination.
Iran again launched drones and missiles at
Israel but there were no reports of significant damage. An Israeli military
official, speaking on condition of anonymity under army guidelines, estimated
the military has taken out more than 50% of Iran’s launchers.
“We’re making it harder for them to fire
toward Israel,” he said.
The Israeli military’s chief spokesman,
Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, later said Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir told the
army to prepare for a “prolonged campaign.”
US
AERIAL REFUELING TANKERS ON THE MOVE
U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing
active U.S. military involvement in the war, and was set to meet with his
national security team Saturday evening. He has said he would put off his
decision for up to two weeks.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
said U.S. military involvement “would be very, very dangerous for everyone.” He
spoke on the sidelines of an Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting in
Turkey. Araghchi was open to further dialogue but emphasized that Iran had no
interest in negotiating with the U.S. while Israel continues to attack.
Barring a commando raid or even a nuclear
strike, Iran’s underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility is considered out
of reach to all but America’s “bunker-buster” bombs. The U.S. has only
configured and programmed its B-2 Spirit stealth bomber to deliver the bomb,
according to the Air Force.
On Saturday, multiple U.S. aerial
refueling tankers were spotted on commercial flight trackers flying patterns
consistent with escorting aircraft from the central U.S. to the Pacific. B-2
bombers are based in Missouri. It was not clear whether the aircraft were a
show of force or prepared for an operation. The White House and Pentagon did
not respond to requests for comment.
THE
WAR’S TOLL
The war erupted June 13, with Israeli
airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear and military sites, top generals and
nuclear scientists. At least 722 people, including 285 civilians, have been
killed in Iran and more than 2,500 wounded, according to a Washington-based
Iranian human rights group.
One Tehran resident, Nasrin, writhed in
her hospital bed as she described how a blast threw her against her apartment
wall. “I’ve had five surgeries. I think I have nothing right here that is
intact,” she said Saturday. Another patient, Shahram Nourmohammadi, said he had
been making deliveries when “something blew up right in front of me.”
Several Iranians have fled the country.
“Everyone is leaving Tehran right now,” said one who did not give his name
after crossing into Armenia.
For many Iranians, it is difficult to know
what’s going on. Internet-access advocacy group NetBlocks.org said Saturday
that limited internet access had again “collapsed.” A nationwide internet
shutdown has lasted for several days.
Iran has retaliated by firing more than
450 missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army
estimates. Israel’s multitiered air defenses have shot down most of
them, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and over 1,000 wounded.
No date has been set for more talks after
negotiations in Geneva failed to produce a breakthrough Friday.
Iran’s nuclear program
Iran has long maintained its nuclear
program is for peaceful purposes, but it is the only non-nuclear-weapon state
to enrich uranium up to 60% — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade
levels of 90%. Israel is widely believed to be the only Middle
Eastern country with a nuclear weapons program but has never acknowledged it.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
has said Israel’s military operation will continue “for as long as it takes” to
eliminate what he called the existential threat of Iran’s nuclear program and
ballistic missile arsenal.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said
Saturday that his country will never renounce its right to nuclear power, which
“cannot be taken away from it through war and threats.” Pezeshkian told French
President Emmanuel Macron via phone that Iran is ready to provide guarantees
and confidence-building measures to demonstrate the peaceful nature of its
nuclear activities, according to IRNA, the state-run news agency.
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