Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes on Israel into Saturday morning, killing at least three people and wounding dozens, after a series of blistering Israeli attacks on the heart of Iran鈥檚 nuclear program and its armed forces.
Israel鈥檚 assault used warplanes, as well as drones smuggled into the country in advance, to assault 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.
Israel said the barrage was necessary before Iran got any closer to building an atomic weapon, although experts and the U.S. government have assessed that Tehran was not actively working on such a weapon before the strikes. It also threw talks between the United States and Iran over an atomic accord into disarray days before the two sides were set to meet Sunday.
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Here's the latest:
Satellite images confirm damage to Iran's ballistic missile arsenal
Satellite images analyzed Saturday by The Associated Press began to confirm some of the damage sustained by Iran鈥檚 ballistic missile arsenal by the Israeli assault on the country.
Images from Planet Labs PBC taken Friday showed damage at two missile bases, one in Kermanshah and one in Tabriz, both in western Iran.
At Kermanshah, where the base is up against a mountainside, burns could be seen across a wide area after the attack. In Tabriz, images showed damage at multiple sites on the base.
Iran has not acknowledged the damage, though it reported on Israeli strikes in the area.
Top Sunni university condemns Israel's attack on Iran
Al-Azhar al-Sharif, the Sunni world鈥檚 foremost institution of religious learning, has condemned Israel鈥檚 attack on Iran, describing Israel as a 鈥渞ogue entity.鈥
鈥淭he arrogance displayed by the Israeli occupation reflects the darkest form of occupation in modern history,鈥 the Cairo-based university said in a statement early Saturday.
It called on the international community to take 鈥渦rgent actions to halt the repeated violations committed by this rogue entity.鈥
Iran is a powerhouse of Shiite Muslims in the region and often at odds with Sunni nations.
Israeli military says it hit dozens of targets in Iran overnight
The Israeli military said it carried out overnight strikes on dozens of targets, including air defenses, in the area of Iran鈥檚 capital, Tehran.
Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, the Israeli air force commander, said the strikes carried 鈥渙perational and national significance.鈥
Israel pauses natural gas supplies to Egypt, authorities in Cairo say
Israel has paused natural gas supplies to Egypt amid its conflict with Iran, authorities in Cairo said.
The move has forced the Egyptian government to stop supplying gas to some industries, according to a Friday statement from the Ministry of Petroleum.
Some power plants that use natural gas in their operations have also reported fuel oil shortages amid peak summer demand, it said.
Egypt faces a deepening domestic gas shortfall, with a more than 7% shortage in its daily gas needs to operate its power grid.
Iran鈥檚 Foreign Ministry calls nuclear talks with US 鈥榤eaningless鈥 after Israeli strikes
Iran鈥檚 Foreign Ministry spokesman on Saturday called further nuclear talks with the United States 鈥渕eaningless鈥 after Israeli strikes on the country, state television said.
The comments by Esmail Baghaei further threw possible talks between the two nations, initially scheduled to take place Sunday in Oman, into doubt.
鈥淭he U.S. did a job that made the talks become meaningless,鈥 Baghaei was quoted as saying. He added that Israel has 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 talks.鈥
Jordan will reopen its airspace to civilian aircraft
Jordan will reopen its airspace to civilian aircraft on Saturday morning, its state-run media reported, signaling the Mideast kingdom believes there is no immediate danger of further attacks.
Jordan鈥檚 state-run Petra news agency said the skies would reopen at 7:30 a.m. local time.
Jordan鈥檚 airspace had seen Iranian drones and missiles cross through it, with Israeli fighter jets likely engaging targets there.
The crossfire between Israel and Iran disrupted East-West travel through the Mideast, a key global aviation route.
Woman dies in missile strike in Tel Aviv, hospital says
A spokesperson for Beilinson Hospital in Tel Aviv said a woman was killed in an Iranian missile strike, bringing the total number of fatalities in the barrages from Iran to three.
The hospital also treated seven people who were wounded in the strike early Saturday. Israel鈥檚 Fire and Rescue Services said a projectile hit a building in the city.
Israel鈥檚 paramedic service says 2 people killed when missile hit central Israel
Israel鈥檚 paramedic service Magen David Adom says an Iranian missile struck near homes in central Israel early Saturday morning, killing two people and injuring 19 others. Israel鈥檚 Fire and Rescue service said four homes were severely damaged.
UN chief calls for escalation to stop, saying 鈥榩eace and diplomacy must prevail鈥
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Israel and Iran to halt their attacks on one another, while calling for diplomacy.
鈥淚sraeli bombardment of Iranian nuclear sites. Iranian missile strikes in Tel Aviv. Enough escalation. Time to stop. Peace and diplomacy must prevail,鈥 Guterres wrote on X on Saturday.
Iranian media reports a fire at Tehran鈥檚 airport
Iran鈥檚 semi-official Tasnim news agency is reporting a fire at Tehran鈥檚 Mehrabad International Airport, posting a video on X of a column of smoke and orange flames rising from what the outlet said was the airport.
A handful of minor injuries reported from second wave of Iranian missiles
Ichilov hospital in Tel Aviv said it has treated seven people hurt by the second Iranian barrage; six had light injuries and the seventh was moderately wounded.
Iran fires a second wave of missiles at Israel
Sirens and the boom of explosions, possibly from Israeli interceptors, could be heard in the sky over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv early Saturday.
AP journalists in Tel Aviv could see what appeared to be at least two Iranian missiles hit the ground, but there was no immediate word of casualties.
The Israeli military said another long-range Iranian missile attack was taking place and urged civilians, already rattled by the first wave of projectiles, to head to shelter. Around three dozen people were wounded by that first wave.
The Iranian outlet Nour News, which has close links with the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said a fresh wave was being launched.
Iranian air defenses are firing against Israeli attacks
The sound of explosions and Iranian air defense systems firing at targets was echoing across the center of the capital, Tehran, shortly after midnight on Saturday.
Additionally, an Associated Press reporter could hear air raid sirens near their home.
