💥 Tensions Escalate: Israel Claims Killing Iranian Commander as Both Sides Exchange Attacks 💥

JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON, June 21 (Reuters) – Amidst stalled nuclear negotiations and heightened tensions, Israel announced on Saturday the targeted killing of a senior Iranian commander. This announcement followed a day of escalating attacks between the two nations, with Iran asserting its unwillingness to negotiate its nuclear program under threat, while Europe attempts to salvage peace talks.

Key Developments:

• 🇮🇱 Israel Claims Killing Senior Commander: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Saeed Izadi, head of the Palestine Corps of the Quds Force (the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ overseas arm), was killed in an Israeli strike in Qom, Iran.
  • Katz hailed the operation as a “major achievement,” claiming Izadi financed and armed Hamas prior to the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
• 🇮🇷 Iranian Response: The Revolutionary Guards reported five members killed in attacks on Khorramabad, according to Iranian media. These reports did not mention Izadi, who was subject to U.S. and British sanctions.
• Iranian media reported an Israeli attack on a building in Qom, initially reporting one fatality (a 16-year-old) and two injuries.

• ☢️ Nuclear Facility Targeted: Iran’s Fars news agency reported that Israel targeted the Isfahan nuclear facility. However, there were no reports of hazardous material leaks.
• 🚀 Military Strikes: The Israeli military stated it launched a wave of attacks targeting missile storage and launch infrastructure sites within Iran.
• 👤 Close Aide Targeted: Ali Shamkhani, a close associate of Iran’s Supreme Leader, claimed to have survived an Israeli attack.
• 🚨 Missile Barrage: Early Saturday, Israel warned of an incoming Iranian missile barrage, triggering air raid sirens across central Israel (including Tel Aviv) and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
  • Intercepts were visible over Tel Aviv as Israeli air defense systems engaged the incoming missiles. No casualties were reported.

Background: Iran’s Nuclear Programme

• ⚔️ Recent Escalation: Israel initiated attacks on Iran on June 13, alleging that Iran is close to developing nuclear weapons.
• 🇮🇷 Denials: Iran maintains that its nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes.
• ☢️ Unacknowledged Nuclear Arsenal: Israel is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, a status it neither confirms nor denies.
• 💔 Casualties: According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, a U.S.-based human rights organization, Israeli airstrikes have killed 639 people in Iran, including senior military officials and nuclear scientists.
• 🏥 Attacks on Healthcare: Iran’s health minister reported that Israel has attacked three hospitals during the conflict, resulting in the deaths of two health workers and a child, and has targeted six ambulances. The Israeli military has not yet responded to requests for comment.
• 🏥 Retaliation: An Iranian missile struck a hospital in Beersheba, southern Israel, on Thursday.

Disclaimer: This summary is based on initial reports from Reuters and other news sources and may be subject to change as more information becomes available.