Iran warned that any United States involvement alongside Israel would result in an “all-out war,” as Israel conducted overnight bombardments on sites it claimed were enabling Iran to continue enriching uranium and to launch attacks on Israeli forces.
“Any American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region,” spokesman Esmail Baghaei cautioned on Wednesday during an interview with Al Jazeera English.
He did not provide further details, though thousands of American troops are stationed in nearby countries within the range of Iran’s weaponry. The U.S. has threatened a substantial response to any attack.
Another Iranian official seemingly dismissed demands for the country to abandon its contentious nuclear program.
Iran’s ambassador to Geneva, Ali Bahreini, informed reporters that Iran “will continue to produce the as far as we need for peaceful purposes.”
He rejected any notion of a setback to Iran’s nuclear research and development due to the Israeli strikes, stating, “Our scientists will continue their work.”
Israeli warplanes heavily struck Tehran overnight and into Wednesday, after Iran launched a limited barrage of missiles at Israel with no reports of casualties, according to the Associated Press.
Israel stated it initiated the strikes to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, following two months of ongoing, yet visibly stagnant, talks between the United States and Iran aimed at a diplomatic resolution.
President Donald Trump has indicated that Israel’s campaign commenced after a 60-day window he had established for the discussions.
Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is peaceful, despite being the only to enrich uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. U.S. intelligence agencies, according to the AP, have stated they do not believe Iran was actively pursuing a nuclear weapon. Israel is widely thought to be the only country in the Middle East with nuclear weapons but has never publicly acknowledged them.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Wednesday that they had eliminated Ali Shadmani, identified as Iran’s “wartime chief of staff,” during overnight operations. Shadmani had held the role for only four days before meeting the same fate as his predecessor, spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said in a video statement Wednesday.
“We have delivered significant blows to the Iranian regime, and as such, they have been pushed back into central Iran,” Defrin stated. “They are now focusing their efforts on conducting missile fire from the area of Isfahan. We are aiming at military targets, they are attacking civilian homes.”
“While we are working to remove threats from Iran, we are still fighting their proxy, Hamas in Gaza, who is still holding 53 of our hostages in brutal conditions,” he further commented. “We will not rest until they are returned home.”
More than fifty Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets conducted three waves of strikes over three hours in an extensive operation Tuesday night, hitting an Iranian centrifuge production site “that was intended to enable the regime to continue to enhance its uranium enrichment,” Defrin elaborated in a separate statement on Wednesday. “This complements actions from previous operations we have conducted targeting components of the nuclear program.”
have struck over 1,100 different components across Iran as of the sixth day of the conflict, Defrin reported.
He said IAF jets also struck several weapons and missile production sites in Tehran. On Wednesday morning, Israeli aircraft identified and engaged five Iranian AH-1 attack helicopters located at Kermanshah airport.
“We have clear goals and objectives: removing the existential threat to the State of Israel, significantly impairing the nuclear program in all its components, and inflicting substantial damage to the missile array,” Defrin stated.
The IDF reported identifying approximately thirty launches fired from Iran towards Israeli territory in two barrages on Tuesday night.
“Most of them were intercepted, and there were no casualties. I know these are complex days, but we cannot afford complacency,” Defrin advised, warning Israelis to strictly adhere to home-front safety guidelines.
Trump initially distanced himself from Israel’s surprise attack on Friday that triggered the conflict, but in recent days has hinted at greater American involvement, stating his desire for something “much bigger” than a cease-fire.
The U.S. has also been shifting assets to the Middle East, including sending more warplanes to the region.
Trump asserted in social media posts on Wednesday that the U.S. knows where Iran’s Supreme Leader is but would not kill him, for now. He additionally called for the “complete surrender” of Iran.
“We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran,” Trump posted.
‘ Stephanie Simon and