Israel attacks Iranian defence facility in Isfahan: Report
Authorities in Iran say Israeli forces attacked a facility affiliated with the country’s Defence Ministry in the central city of Isfahan, on the third consecutive day of Israeli strikes.
“One of the centres affiliated with the Ministry of Defence in Isfahan was attacked moments ago, but there have been no casualties so far,” Akbar Salehi, deputy provincial governor, was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency.
“Expert teams are currently examining the possible damage,” he added.
Earlier, Israeli forces also attacked an electronics factory in the city of Shiraz, sending a huge column of black smoke into the sky.
Iranian Petroleum Ministry says refinery in Isfahan remains fully active
All facilities in the refinery are operational, according to a ministry statement cited by the semiofficial ISNA news agency.
“The employees of this complex, with their constant efforts and commitment, continue the process of producing and supplying fuel to the country without interruption,” it said.
The statement comes after a reported Israeli attack on the city.
Iran will carry out ‘effective and decisive strikes’ against Israel: Army chief
Amir Hatami, Iran’s chief of staff, says Iranian forces have acted “with complete sincerity” from the first moments of Israel’s attack on the country. “And from now on, with full preparation, they will carry out decisive and effective strikes against [Israel],” a statement to the semiofficial Mehr news agency says.
Iran says it arrested 2 Mossad operatives
Iran says it arrested two individuals, accusing them of being members of Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad. They were detained in Alborz province while they were preparing explosives and electronic devices, the semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported.
Caught in a decades-long shadow war with Israel, Iran has arrested and executed numerous individuals over alleged links to Mossad, particularly those accused of sabotage and assassination efforts aimed at undermining its nuclear programme.
Where has Israel struck today?
Today, there have been reports from Isfahan where it was reported that one facility related to the Defence Ministry had been attacked. We also got reports about attacks in Shiraz and air strikes elsewhere.
In Kermanshah, there are reports that two horse-breeding stables were attacked by Israel. According to the initial report that came from the ISNA news agency, 50-60 horses were killed in the Israeli strike.
Overnight, there were attacks by Israel on oil depots in Tehran. Initially, some reports said the oil refinery centre was hit, but it turns out that was not true – it was the fuel depot that was attacked. Smoke is still coming out of the scene, with firefighting teams working on that.
Meanwhile, there are strong statements issued from different Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who said earlier today that Iran is going to continue its attacks for as long as Israel continues.
So there is a possibility for de-escalation if the two sides decide to do so, but what we see on the ground is still far from that.
IRGC confirms killing of seven top Aerospace Force commanders
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has confirmed the killing of seven top commanders of its Aerospace Force, including its head, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, in Israel’s attack on Friday morning.
“We mourn the deaths of seven of our commanders, including Brigadier General Amir Hajizadeh,” the elite force said in a statement.
Sayyid Majid Mousavi was appointed the new chief of the IRGC’s Aerospace Force on Saturday.
Explosions heard in Tehran
We are getting reports of successive loud explosions in northwestern Tehran. There was no immediate information about the exact location that was targeted in what appeared to be a new Israeli attack, not far from a 15-storey building that was hit on the first night of Israeli bombardment.
