Iran, Israel launch new attacks after Tehran rules out nuclear talks
Iran and Israel exchanged fresh attacks early on Saturday, a day after Tehran said it would not negotiate over its nuclear programme while under threat and Europe tried to keep peace talks alive.
Shortly after 2:30 a.m. in Israel (2330 GMT on Friday), the Israeli military warned of an incoming missile barrage from Iran, triggering air raid sirens across parts of central Israel, including Tel Aviv, as well as in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Interceptions were visible in the sky over Tel Aviv, with explosions echoing across the metropolitan area as Israel’s air defence systems responded.
At the same time, Israel launched a new wave of attacks against missile storage and launch infrastructure sites in Iran, the Israeli military said.
Sirens also sounded in southern Israel, said Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency service. An Israeli military official said Iran had fired five ballistic missiles and that there were no immediate indications of any missile impacts.
There were no initial reports of casualties.
The emergency service released images showing a fire on the roof of a multi-storey residential building in central Israel. Local media reported that the fire was caused by debris from an intercepted missile. Israel began attacking Iran last Friday, saying its longtime enemy was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Iran, which says its nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes, retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel.
Israel is widely assumed to possess nuclear weapons. It neither confirms nor denies this.
Its air attacks have killed 639 people in Iran, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, a U.S.-based human rights organisation that tracks Iran. The dead include the military's top echelon and nuclear scientists.
In Israel, 24 civilians have been killed in Iranian missile attacks, according to authorities.
Reuters could not independently verify casualty figures for either side.
TALKS SHOW LITTLE PROGRESS
Iran has repeatedly targeted Tel Aviv, a metropolitan area of around 4 million people and the country’s business and economic hub, where some critical military assets are also located.
Israel said it had struck dozens of military targets on Friday, including missile production sites, a research body it said was involved in nuclear weapons development in Tehran and military facilities in western and central Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said there was no room for negotiations with the U.S. "until Israeli aggression stops". But he arrived in Geneva on Friday for talks with European foreign ministers at which Europe hopes to establish a path back to diplomacy.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday reiterated that he would take as long as two weeks to decide whether the United States should enter the conflict on Israel's side, enough time "to see whether or not people come to their senses", he said.
Trump said he was unlikely to press Israel to scale back its airstrikes to allow negotiations to continue.
"I think it's very hard to make that request right now. If somebody is winning, it's a little bit harder to do than if somebody is losing, but we're ready, willing and able, and we've been speaking to Iran, and we'll see what happens," he said.
The Geneva talks produced little signs of progress, and Trump said he doubted negotiators would be able to secure a ceasefire.
"Iran doesn't want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help in this one," Trump said.
Hundreds of U.S. citizens have fled Iran since the air war began, according to a U.S. State Department cable seen by Reuters.
Israel's envoy to the United Nations, Danny Danon, told the Security Council on Friday his country would not stop its attacks "until Iran's nuclear threat is dismantled". Iran's U.N. envoy Amir Saeid Iravani called for Security Council action and said Tehran was alarmed by reports that the U.S. might join the war.
Russia and China demanded immediate de-escalation.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran was ready to discuss limitations on uranium enrichment but that it would reject any proposal that barred it from enriching uranium completely, "especially now under Israel's strikes".
** 'A choice of two evils': Young anti-regime Iranians divided over conflict
Last Friday, Israel launched massive air strikes on Iran, prompting Tehran to retaliate with barrages of missiles.
In a video message that day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Iranian people that in addition to Israel's aim of thwarting Iran's nuclear programme, "we are also clearing the path for you to achieve your freedom".
Some sections of Iran's splintered opposition have rallied behind Netanyahu's call. Others are mistrustful of his objective.
There are no official opposition groups inside Iran, where authorities have long cracked down on dissent, including a wave of mass executions and imprisonments in the 1980s.
Since then, most opposition groups have operated from abroad, including two of the most organised groups: the pro-monarchy supporters of Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Shah of Iran, and the exiled Mojahedin-e Khalq Organisation (MEK/MKO).
It has become increasingly difficult for journalists to contact people inside Iran, due to the authorities restricting access to the internet and social media.
We have managed to speak to several young Iranians who oppose the regime - and have protested against it in the past - in recent days, however.
Their names have been changed for their safety as the Iranian authorities frequently imprison opponents in an attempt to suppress dissent.
Tara, 26, told the BBC that when Israel issues evacuation warnings ahead of strikes, authorities shut off internet access "so that people don't find out and the death toll rises".
Checkpoints and toll stations are also set up, she says, accusing authorities of "deliberately" creating traffic, which "encourages people to stay in targeted areas".
"Talking about patriotism, unity, and standing up to the enemy is absurd. The enemy has been killing us slowly for decades. The enemy is the Islamic Republic!"
The Israeli military has been issuing evacuation warnings via Telegram and X, which are banned in Iran. Coupled with limited internet access, this means it's difficult for Iranians to see the warnings.
Sima, 27, tells us she does not care about this anymore.
"I wish Israel would get the job done as soon as possible. I'm exhausted. Although I'm still not a fan of Israel or what it's doing, I hope they'd finish what they've started.
"Wishful thinking, I know. But I want them to rid us and the world of the threat of the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps], [Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei and ayatollahs as a whole."
Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, is commander-in-chief of the armed forces, including the powerful IRGC, which is tasked with defending the Islamic system and overseeing Iran's ballistic missiles. The recent Israeli strikes have killed many senior IRGC figures, including its commander, Hossein Salami.
Some people we spoke to were even more forceful in their support for Israel's attacks.
Amir, 23, said he supported them "100%". Asked why, he said he believed no-one else was prepared to take on the regime.
"Not the UN, not Europe, not even us. We tried, remember? And they killed us in the streets. I'm joyful when the people who've crushed our lives finally taste fear. We deserve that much."
Amir is referencing the widespread protests in Iran following the death of Masha Amini. The 22-year-old died in police custody in 2022 after being arrested for allegedly violating rules requiring women to wear the headscarf.
The Norway-based Iran Human Rights group reported that 537 protesters were killed by state security forces during the unrest. The government's official line is that "security forces acted with responsibility", blaming the deaths on violent protesters or foreign agitators.
The rallying cry of the protests - "woman, life, freedom" - was repeated by Netanyahu on Friday in both English and Persian, as he urged Iranians to "stand up and let your voices be heard".
Iran has not officially responded to the Israeli prime minister's calls, but some hardliners and media figures have mocked and dismissed the remarks. Meanwhile, authorities have warned against sharing campaigns and statements by Israeli and US officials.
Some opponents of the Islamic Republic are suspicious of Netanyahu's intentions, however.
"I participated in the protests [in 2022] because I had hope for a regime change then. I just don't see how the regime could be overthrown in this conflict without Iran itself being destroyed in the process," said Navid, a 25-year-old activist who was briefly arrested during the protests.
"Israel is killing ordinary people as well. At some point, people will start to take the side of the Islamic Republic," he added.
Darya, 26, said: "I think the fact that people are not coming out to protest is already a clear response" to Netanyahu's call.
"I wouldn't go even if Israel bombed my house. Netanyahu is hiding behind Iranian nationalist slogans and pretends he's helping Iranians reach freedom while he's targeted residential areas. It's going to take years just to rebuild the country."
Arezou, 22, said she did not know what to think.
"I hate the regime, and I hate what it's done to us. But when I see bombs falling, I think of my grandmother, my little cousin. And I've seen what Netanyahu did to Gaza - do you really think he cares about Iranians? This isn't about us, it's about [Israeli] politics," she said.
"I feel like I have to choose between two evils, and I can't. I just want my people safe. I want to breathe without fear."
Mina, 27, said: "I want this regime gone more than anything - but not like this. Not through more bombs, more death."
"Israel is not our saviour. When innocent people die, it's not a step toward freedom, it's another form of injustice. I don't want to trade one kind of terror for another. I'm against this regime and also against this war. We deserve a better way out than this."
Reuters/BBC
