Iran fired more missiles into Israel in the early hours of Monday, with emergency services reporting at least five people killed and 87 wounded, as the conflict shows no sign of abating.
Israeli emergency service Magen David Adom said in a June 16 statement posted on the social media platform X that two women and two men, all in their 70s, were killed along with another person in missile attacks that struck four sites in central Israel.
The U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said on X there was some minor damage to the consulate in Tel Aviv after an Iranian missile strike nearby.
Huckabee later clarified on X, “There were NO INJURIES to US Personnel at US Embassy Branch–the minor damage to property were from the shock waves (i.e. ”concussions“) from the nearby blast. Not human concussions.”
The ambassador encouraged the 700,000 Americans living in Israel to monitor the U.S. embassy website for advice on travel and safety.
Tehran said it had launched around 100 missiles, and said it would continue to retaliate after Israeli air attacks and drone strikes hit Iran.
On Sunday night and into Monday morning, Iranian missiles hit Israeli cities like Tel Aviv and Petah Tikva, triggering a massive response from Israel’s air defense umbrella, which includes the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and The Arrow.
Shortly before dawn, Tel Aviv was rocked by several explosions, which may have been air defense systems intercepting incoming missiles.
The Israeli authorities said Iranian missiles had hit a residential building in Petah Tikva, shattering windows and damaging the walls of the apartment block.
Israeli police spokesman Dean Elsdunne, speaking outside the apartment block in Petah Tikva, said, “We clearly see that our civilians are being targeted. And this is just one scene. We have other sites like this near the coast, in the south.”
The Iranian Ministry of Health claims at least 224 people have been killed in the country since Friday, including the commander of the Iranian Armed Forces, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, and the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami.
The Israeli military said on Monday that its fighter jets struck command centers in Tehran belonging to Iran’s Quds Force, an elite unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Iran’s state-owned news agency said on Monday that the IRGC held a press conference in which it announced the head of its intelligence organization, Mohammad Kazemi, had been killed along with two colleagues, Hassan Mohaqeq and Mohsen Baqeri, during Israeli airstrikes on Sunday.
The IRGC said its aerospace force was targeting intelligence centers in Israel.
Israel Claims ‘Full Air Supremacy’ Over Iran
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, said Israel had destroyed 120 Iranian surface-to-surface missile launchers that had been firing at Israel.
“Now we can say that we have achieved full air supremacy in the Tehran airspace.”
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz posted on X: “The arrogant dictator of Tehran has become a cowardly murderer who targets the civilian home front in Israel to deter the IDF from continuing the attack that is collapsing his capabilities. The residents of Tehran will pay the price, and soon.”
Katz later clarified his remarks on X, saying, “I wish to clarify the obvious: there is no intention to physically harm the residents of Tehran as the murderous dictator does to the residents of Israel.”
He said residents should evacuate their homes if they live near “regime targets and security infrastructure” in Tehran.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, in a statement on Monday, “Over the past two days, we have received messages through various channels claiming the U.S. had no involvement in the attack. But we do not believe this claim and have evidence to the contrary.”
Araghchi said, “If the U.S. truly holds this position, it should publicly and explicitly state its stance. Private messages are insufficient. To demonstrate goodwill, the U.S. must condemn the attack on nuclear facilities and clearly distance itself from this conflict.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the attack on Iran, a few hours after the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-nation board of governors passed a resolution on June 12 declaring Iran noncompliant and in breach of its obligations under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT).
Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that the Iranian parliament, the Majlis, was preparing to vote on a bill to leave the NPT, but Baghaei insisted Tehran was still opposed to developing nuclear weapons.
World leaders are arriving in Kananaskis, Canada, for the G7 summit, and Germany’s Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said the Israel-Iran issue would be “very high” on their agenda.
Before leaving for the summit on Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters, “I hope there’s going to be a deal. I think it’s time for a deal. Sometimes they have to fight it out.”
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Chris Summers is a UK-based journalist covering a wide range of national stories, with a particular interest in crime, policing and the law.
Reprinted with Permission from The Epoch Times – By Chris Summers
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AMAC or AMAC Action.
I think the deal it is time for now is to take out Khamenei, and the rest of Iran’s underground nuclear enrichment centrifuges, and ballistic and intercontinental ballistic missile manufacturing facilities with bombers and bunker busters, and to obliterate the rest of their above ground nuclear, missile and drone research and assembly centers with daisy cutters and 500 pounders. The time for diplomatic solutions with this islamic Mahdi death cult has long come and gone, if there ever was a time because any of the previous deals were naive, to our detriment, and continuously violated by the Iranian mullahs whose ideology excuses any lie told to anyone not believing in their death cult.
I have read multiple articles that say Iran is urgently requesting a ceasefire but they are sending rockets for the 4th straight night. Funny way of trying to convince me that they want the ceasefire.
“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” Matthew 24:6-8 Quote by Jesus
The world won’t support Israel over Iran. Just like they won’t support America over the Ukraine in that war. There is money to be made with these wars by the military industrial complex. Do we need to say more. Like president Trump said about the resolution the G7 signed and he refused to sign. Why didn’t they do this before Israel had to take these actions to keep Iran from getting an atomic bomb or many bombs. Total radio silence and here we are. Most democrats in the global world they envision don’t believe Iran is evil. Because they themselves are evil. We have arrived at a terrible point in this world. War is good, peace is bad. And this is no more apparent as to what is going on in LA, which the progressive dems allowed to grow into an all out war against the United States.
The DIMMs wanted to get rid of the Shah, who was far less than perfect, so they helped install a bunch of psychotic demons instead. DIMMs did the same thing in Cuba, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. They never learn!
The US best not condemn the attacks! Iran has been funding hamas and hezbolla for years.
If a person is looking for what Israel stands for vs Iran’s values study who and what is being targeted by these two Countries. Israel has been killing Iranian Leadership, Military, Nuclear Scientists, Nuclear Facilities, Bomb Making Factories, Infastructure, ect. while avoiding innocent population on the whole. Iran is bombing Israeli population indiscriminately minus any Christian Morality but holding to the Radical Tenets of Muslim core beliefs. All the World must know what Iran is striving to do to Irael, they wish to do to all the World without exception!
Where did Iran get all those missiles? Probably bought with those pallets of American taxpayers money Barack and Hillary gave them. Cut off the head to those that target civilian population. These animals have been in power too long.
I believe President Trump and his advisors will do what is in the best interests of America.
Speculation in the meantime is futile.
HAMAS started this war and in very barbaric attack on October 7th & are still holding hostages today & Gaza civilians as shields to hide behind.
This wouldn’t be happening if Carter had just nuked Tehran when the Muslim thugs took over our embassy.
They are never going to stop until they are dead. The Quran requires them to attack and kill anyone who will not convert and the most enthusiastic of believers of the Muslim cult are the ones who kill non-Muslims. A good example were the crazies who took over the airliners and used them to take down the twin towers. This is just more of the same and they will keep on until the entire world is under their control or they are all dead. I prefer the second option.
Of course the very best option is for them to convert to Christianity and be saved from their sins. The difference between Muslims and Christians is that Muslims are enjoined by the Quran to force people to convert and to kill people if they don’t covert. On the other hand Christianity is wanting to educate people so they can make a decision for themselves if they want to convert to Christianity. No killing involved.
Self defense and defense of innocents is allowed which is what the nation of Israel is doing. Killing in defense of another would be if we bombed Iran in defense of Israel. Having been in the military during the Viet Nam debacle I’m reluctant to go to war again for another country. But it might be the best thing to do. Get it over with. No half hearted measures like in Viet Nam.
While I don’t want to see casualties or war in general, I hope Iran finally runs out of missiles to send. Israel and the U.S. won’t. It kind of leaves Iran between a rock and a hard place. Right where they NEED to be.
At which point will Isreal stop just hitting Military sites and like the Iranians start targeting civilians. I haven’t heard of Israeli’s hiding behind the civilians like the Hamas do. If you don’t think that this happens you have no clue about world events. I am amazed that the Israel’s have not said, “enough is enough”. If you are going to kill our civilians than the kid gloves are off. With the Nuclear threat a reality, everyone in the world should be trembling. God and Allah should both be stepping in, or maybe they will very soon!
I thought Trump moved our embassy to Jerusalem; how did it get hit in Tel Aviv? Or are we setting up consulates all over Israel so that losing civilian personnel will become a certainty?
Seeds for WW3
What is going wrong with the white male US citizens in the last year? Yesterday the 57 year old shooting four people in Minnesota, both attempts on Trump were US citizens, the shooting Manigone in NYC of the Healthcare CEO, and several others. I thought the biggest worry was the millions of illegal aliens that Biden let cross the border. What is causing so many US citizens to come unhinged and shooting innocent Americans? The FBI needs to be proactive and stop these people before they act, and are they too busy working with ICE and deportation.
If Israel would send Khamenei a map of where THEIR nuclear arsenal is, I am sure he would redirect his missiles!????
Trump was at G7 today, and he blamed Biden for starting this war . Trump has been in office +100 days & it is time to quit blaming the last administration for everything is happening in world today.. THE BUCK STOPS HERE is what one our historical Presidents told the world. Does Trump; realize that the whole world is watching him and his posts on his own media?
Why does Israel not sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty like Iran and 190 other nations?
Strange how the “Israeli spokesman”, when mentioning civilian sites being hit failed to mention anything about the Israeli’s peculiar practice of locating military sites in residential areas. Hiding behind the skirts of the “innocent” so to speak.
And the gall for any Israeli political or military person whining about civilian deaths. My God the tens upon tens of thousands of civilians butchered wholesale by “Gods Chosen Genocidal Maniacs”, boggles the mind. Hitler industrialized exactly what the Israelis have been doing for quite a while now.
Also strange how no mention was made of the sweet, pure Israelis sending air launched missiles by the score into Iranian apartment complexes as if finding and vaporizing Iranian scientists wasn’t enough to satiate their taste for civilian blood.
And I guess Trump is a big supporter of all this (remember who struck first and here is a hint, they weren’t Iranian), just to keep a smile on his son in laws face. Speaking of which, Mr. Kirshner seems young and fit enough, why isn’t he back home getting in some serious baby killing time?
God bless America