Largely Iranian residents board a bus travelling to Van, a metropolis in japanese Turkey close to the border with Iran, on the Esenler bus terminal in Istanbul, on June 18, 2025. Dozens of fearful Iranians huddled within the shade of an Istanbul bus shelter Tuesday, ready for a bus to take them again house regardless of an intensifying air warfare between Iran and Israel. Flights to Iran have been suspended on June 18, 2025 after Israel launched a devastating assault on Tehran’s nuclear services, sparking a lethal confrontation which is now in its fifth day. (AFP)
TEHRAN – Iran’s supreme chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei mentioned Wednesday the nation would by no means give up as demanded by President Donald Trump and warned america it might face “irreparable injury” if it intervenes in assist of its ally.
The speech got here six days into the battle, with Trump demanding Iran’s “unconditional give up” whereas boasting america may kill Khamenei and fuelling hypothesis a couple of attainable intervention.
The long-range blitz started Friday, when Israel launched a large bombing marketing campaign that prompted Iran to reply with missiles and drones.
“This nation won’t ever give up,” Khamenei mentioned in a speech learn on state tv, through which he known as Trump’s ultimatum “unacceptable”.
“America ought to know that any army intervention will undoubtedly lead to irreparable injury,” he mentioned.
Khamenei, in energy since 1989 and the ultimate arbiter of all issues of state in Iran, had earlier vowed the nation would present “no mercy” in direction of Israel’s leaders.
The speech adopted an evening of strikes, with Israeli assaults destroying two buildings making centrifuge parts for Iran’s nuclear programme close to Tehran, in line with the UN nuclear watchdog.
“Greater than 50 Israeli Air Power fighter jets… carried out a collection of air strikes within the Tehran space over the previous few hours,” the Israeli army mentioned, including that a number of weapons manufacturing services have been hit.
“As a part of the broad effort to disrupt Iran’s nuclear weapons improvement programme, a centrifuge manufacturing facility in Tehran was focused.”
Centrifuges are very important for uranium enrichment, the delicate course of that may produce gasoline for reactors or, in extremely prolonged type, the core of a nuclear warhead.
The strikes destroyed two buildings making centrifuge parts for Iran’s nuclear programme in Karaj, a satellite tv for pc metropolis of Tehran, the Worldwide Atomic Power Company mentioned.
In one other strike on a website in Tehran, “one constructing was hit the place superior centrifuge rotors have been manufactured and examined”, the company added in a submit on X.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards mentioned they’d launched hypersonic Fattah-1 missiles at Tel Aviv.
Hypersonic missiles journey at greater than 5 occasions the pace of sound and may manoeuvre mid-flight, making them more durable to trace and intercept.
No missile struck Tel Aviv in a single day, although AFP photographs confirmed Israel’s air defence programs activated to intercept missiles over the industrial hub.
Iran additionally despatched a “swarm of drones” in direction of Israel, whereas the Israeli army mentioned it had intercepted a complete of 10 drones launched from Iran.
It mentioned considered one of its personal drones had been shot down over Iran.
‘Unconditional give up’
Trump fuelled hypothesis about US intervention when he made a hasty exit from the G7 summit in Canada, the place the leaders of the membership of rich democracies known as for de-escalation however backed Israel’s “proper to defend itself”.
He boasted that america may simply assassinate Khamenei.
“We all know precisely the place the so-called ‘Supreme Chief’ is hiding. He’s a simple goal, however is protected there — We’re not going to take him out (kill!), not less than not for now,” Trump wrote on his Fact Social platform.
Trump met along with his Nationwide Safety Council to debate the battle. There was no instant public assertion after the hour and 20 minute assembly.
US officers burdened Trump has not but decided about any intervention.
Evacuations
Israel’s assaults have hit nuclear and army services round Iran, in addition to residential areas.
Residential areas in Israel have additionally been hit, and overseas governments have scrambled to evacuate their residents from each international locations.
Many Israelis spent one other evening disrupted by air raid warnings, with residents of coastal hub Tel Aviv repeatedly heading for shelters when sirens rang out warning of incoming Iranian missiles.
Within the West Financial institution metropolis of Ramallah, perched at 800 metres (2,600 toes) above sea degree and with a view over Tel Aviv, some residents gathered on rooftops and balconies to look at.
An AFP journalist reported cheers and whistles as dozens of missiles flew overhead, with Israeli air defences activating to intercept them, inflicting mid-air explosions which lit up the sky.
Since Friday, not less than 24 individuals have been killed in Israel and a whole bunch wounded, in line with Netanyahu’s workplace.
Iran mentioned on Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed not less than 224 individuals, together with army commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. It has not issued an up to date toll since then.
On Tuesday in Tehran, lengthy queues stretched exterior bakeries and petrol stations as individuals rushed to fill up on gasoline and primary provides.
Iran’s ISNA and Tasnim information businesses on Wednesday reported that 5 suspected brokers of Israel’s Mossad intelligence company had been detained, on prices of tarnishing the nation’s picture on-line.
Nuclear services
After a chronic shadow warfare, Israel mentioned its shock air marketing campaign was geared toward stopping Iran from buying nuclear weapons — an ambition Tehran denies.
The UN nuclear watchdog mentioned there appeared to have been “direct impacts on the underground enrichment halls” at Iran’s Natanz facility.
Israel has maintained ambiguity relating to its personal atomic actions, however the Stockholm Worldwide Peace Analysis Institute (SIPRI) says it has 90 nuclear warheads.
The battle derailed a operating collection of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, with Iran saying after the beginning of Israel’s marketing campaign that it might not negotiate with america whereas below assault.
Your subscription couldn’t be saved. Please strive once more.
Your subscription has been profitable.
