The tense confrontation between Israel and Iran continues to escalate as the two sides carry out a series of missile and airstrikes against each other. Tensions flared up after Israel launched a large-scale airstrike campaign to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, Tel Aviv said.
Iran responded by launching a series of missiles at Israeli territory on the night of June 13. The alarm clocked across the country, from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, forcing people to seek shelter. A missile fell near a residential area, killing a man and a woman, and injuring dozens others. In the city of Rishon Lesion near Tel Aviv, many buildings were completely destroyed, rescue teams had to search for victims in the rubble.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz criticized Iran for crossing the "red line" by attacking civilians and said Iran would "have to pay a heavy price" for the action.
At the same time, a missile launched from Yemen, believed to be by an Iranian-backed Houthi force, killed five Palestinians, including three children, in the Israeli-controlled West Bank.
In Iran, several large explosions were heard in the capital Tehran, and two unidentified flying objects crashed into Mehrabad airport - where a key air base is located near the country's top leadership facilities.
Iran said 78 people, including many senior military officials, were killed in the Israeli airstrikes, along with more than 320 injured, mostly civilians. Tehran claimed to have launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel after its Natanz underground nuclear facility was attacked. Several of the strikes were believed to have targeted the Tel Aviv shopping mall and caused a huge explosion as far as Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon confirmed that the US military has assisted in intercepting Iranian missiles against Israel. Israel said most of the missiles were intercepted or fell before reaching the target.
Iran's top leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of stirring up the conflict, warning that "no place in Israel will be safe" and that Iran's response would be painful. Iran has also accused the US of complicity in the attacks and must bear responsibility for the consequences.
While tensions continue to increase, US President Donald Trump affirmed that there is still time for Tehran to reach an agreement on the nuclear program, but Iran expressed skepticism and said that US actions make the dialogue meaningless.
