DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) 鈥 Israel鈥檚 defense minister warned Saturday that 鈥淭ehran will burn鈥 if Iran continues firing missiles on Israel after at least three people died and dozens were wounded Saturday morning, following a series of blistering Israeli attacks on the heart of Iran鈥檚 nuclear program and its armed forces.
Speaking after an assessment meeting with the army鈥檚 chief of staff, Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Iran will pay a heavy price for harming Israeli citizens.
"If (Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front 鈥 Tehran will burn,鈥 Katz said.
Iranian state television reported online that air defense systems were firing in the cities of Khorramabad, Kermanshah and Tabriz, signaling the start of what could be a new Israeli attack. Footage from Tabriz showed black smoke rising from the city, according to a video posted by an affiliate of Iranian state TV.
Israel鈥檚 assault used warplanes 鈥 as well as drones smuggled into the country in advance, according to officials 鈥 to hit key facilities and kill top generals and scientists. Iran鈥檚 U.N. ambassador said 78 people were killed and more than 320 wounded in the attacks.
Iran retaliated by launching waves of drones and ballistic missiles at Israel, where explosions lit the night skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and shook the buildings below. The Israeli military urged civilians, already rattled by in Gaza sparked by Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, to head to shelter for hours.
Both Israel and Iran said their attacks would continue, raising the prospect of another protracted Mideast conflict. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that his objective was to eliminate any Iranian threat to Israel, but he also urged Iranians to rise up against their leaders. Israel would welcome the government鈥檚 overthrow even if it is not actively seeking it.
Strikes could derail nuclear talks
Israel鈥檚 strikes also put further talks between the United States and Iran over a nuclear accord into doubt before they were set to meet Sunday in Oman. Iran鈥檚 Foreign Ministry spokesman called further nuclear talks with the United States 鈥渕eaningless鈥 after Israeli strikes on the country, state television said.
鈥淭he U.S. did a job that made the talks become meaningless,鈥 Esmail Baghaei was quoted as saying. He added that Israel had passed all Iran鈥檚 red lines by committing a 鈥渃riminal act鈥 through its strikes.
However, he stopped short of saying the talks were cancelled. The Mizan news agency, which is run by Iran鈥檚 judiciary, quoted him as saying: 鈥淚t is still not clear what we decide about Sunday's talks.鈥
Iranian missiles strike Israel
Khamenei said in a recorded message Friday: 鈥淲e will not allow them to escape safely from this great crime they committed.鈥
Iran launched waves of missiles at Israel late Friday and early Saturday. Iranians awoke Saturday to state television airing repeated clips of strikes on Israel, as well as videos of people cheering and handing out sweets. Israel's military said more drones were intercepted near the Dead Sea early Saturday.
A hospital in Tel Aviv treated seven people wounded in the second Iranian barrage; all but one of them had light injuries. Israel鈥檚 Fire and Rescue Services said they were wounded when a projectile hit a building in the city. A spokesperson for Beilinson Hospital said one woman was killed.
Hours later, an Iranian missile struck near homes in the central Israeli city of Rishon Lezion, killing two more people and wounding 19, according to Israel鈥檚 paramedic service Magen David Adom. Israel's Fire and Rescue service said four homes were severely damaged.
Meanwhile, the sound of explosions and Iranian air defense systems firing at targets echoed across central Tehran shortly after midnight on Saturday. An Associated Press journalist could hear air raid sirens near their home.
Iran鈥檚 semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported a fire at Tehran鈥檚 Mehrabad International Airport. A video showed a column of smoke and flames rising from what the outlet said was the airport.
The Israeli military said it carried out overnight strikes on dozens of targets, including air defenses, 鈥渋n the area of Tehran.鈥
Israel鈥檚 paramedic services said 34 people were wounded in the barrage on the Tel Aviv area, including a woman who was critically injured after being trapped under rubble. In Ramat Gan, east of Tel Aviv, an AP journalist saw burned-out cars and at least three damaged houses, including one where the front was nearly entirely torn away.
Residents of a central Israeli city that was hit Friday night told the AP the explosion was so powerful it shook their shelter door open. 鈥淲e thought, that鈥檚 it, the house is gone, and in fact half of the house was gone, it fell apart," said Moshe Shani.
U.S. ground-based air defense systems in the region were helping to shoot down Iranian missiles, said a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the measures.
Strikes raise fears of all-out war
Israel's ongoing airstrikes and Iran's retaliation raised concerns about all-out war between the countries and propelled the region, , into even greater upheaval. Israel's 20-month-long war with Gaza shows no signs of ending. At least 27 people were killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza overnight Friday, according to local hospitals.
Countries in the region condemned Israel鈥檚 attack, while leaders around the globe called for immediate deescalation from both sides.
Israel had long threatened such a strike, and successive American administrations sought to prevent it, fearing it would ignite a wider conflict across the Middle East and possibly be ineffective at destroying Iran鈥檚 dispersed and hardened nuclear program.
But triggered by Hamas鈥 Oct. 7, 2023, attack 鈥 plus the reelection of U.S. President Donald Trump 鈥 created the conditions that allowed Israel to finally follow through on its threats. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the U.S. was informed in advance of the attack.
On Thursday, Iran was for not complying with obligations meant to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.
The crossfire between Israel and Iran disrupted East-West travel through the Mideast, a key global aviation route, but Jordan鈥檚 state-run Petra news agent said the country would reopen its airspace to civilian aircraft at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, signaling it believes there is no immediate danger. Lebanon's government also said Saturday it had reopened its airspace.
Above-ground section of Natanz facility destroyed
Among the key sites Israel attacked was Iran鈥檚 in Natanz, where black smoke could be seen rising into the air. It also appeared to strike a second, smaller nuclear enrichment facility in Fordo, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) southeast of Tehran, according to an Iranian news outlet close to the government that reported hearing explosions nearby.
Israel said it also struck a nuclear research facility in Isfahan, and said it destroyed dozens of radar installations and surface-to-air missile launchers in western Iran. Iran confirmed the strike at Isfahan.
U.N. nuclear chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council that the above-ground section of the Natanz facility was destroyed. The main centrifuge facility underground did not appear to have been hit, but the loss of power could have damaged the infrastructure there, he said.
Netanyahu said the attack had been months in the making and was planned for April before being postponed.
Israel鈥檚 Mossad spy agency positioned explosive drones and precision weapons inside Iran ahead of time, and used them to target Iranian air defenses and missile launchers near Tehran, according to two security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
It was not possible to independently corroborate those claims.
Over the past year, Israel has been targeting Iran鈥檚 air defenses, for a Russian-made air defense battery in April 2024 and and missile manufacturing facilities in October.
The first wave of strikes gave Israel 鈥渟ignificant freedom of movement鈥 in Iran鈥檚 skies, clearing the way for further attacks, according to an Israeli military official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss details of the attack with the media.
The official said Israel is prepared for an operation that could last up to two weeks, but that there was no firm timeline.
Among those killed were three of Iran鈥檚 top military leaders: one who oversaw the entire armed forces, Gen. Mohammad Bagheri; one who , Gen. Hossein Salami; and the head of the Guard鈥檚 ballistic missile program, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh.
Two of Bagheri鈥檚 deputies were also killed, Iran confirmed Saturday: Gen. Gholamreza Mehrabi, the deputy of intelligence for the armed forces鈥 general staff, and Gen. Mehdi Rabbani, the deputy of operations.
Trump urged Iran on Friday to reach a deal with the U.S. on its nuclear program, warning on his Truth Social platform that Israel鈥檚 attacks 鈥渨ill only get worse.鈥
鈥淚ran must make a deal, before there is nothing left,鈥 he wrote.
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Lidman and Frankel reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel and Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran contributed to this report.
