The armed conflict between Israel and Iran has entered its third day, with both nations carrying out large-scale strikes against each other, resulting in significant casualties and damage.
In Israel, local rescue services reported that Iranian missile attacks have claimed at least 13 lives, including the most recent victims on Sunday. On the other side, Iran’s Health Ministry confirmed that 224 individuals were killed as a result of Israeli airstrikes.
Among the key Israeli targets was Iran’s vital energy infrastructure. The IDF reportedly struck an oil storage facility in Tehran and attacked the South Pars gas field—the largest of its kind in the world. In retaliation, Iran launched missile strikes on Tel Aviv, hitting residential areas and also targeting an oil refinery in Haifa.
On Friday, Israeli forces bombed several high-value sites across Iran, including a uranium enrichment plant in Natanz, and were said to have carried out targeted killings of prominent Iranian military officials and nuclear experts. Iran responded with a wave of ballistic missiles fired deep into Israeli territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the military campaign, known as Operation Rising Lion, was launched to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. In response, Tehran labeled the assault as an unprovoked act of aggression and halted its nuclear discussions with Washington. Talks were scheduled to resume on Sunday but were suspended following the strikes.
The tensions escalated further after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) accused Iran of breaching its nuclear commitments. Tehran dismissed these claims, calling them politically driven.
Although the US has maintained that it is not directly involved in the conflict, former President Donald Trump publicly supported Israel’s actions. Russia, meanwhile, condemned the initial Israeli attacks and urged both sides to de-escalate. Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with Trump, during which both leaders reportedly agreed on the need to reopen negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
