Tehran vows Western military facilities will become targets if they help defend Israel – 60 killed including 20 children in housing complex strike
Israel’s defence minister has issued a chilling warning that “Tehran will burn” if Iran continues firing missiles at Israeli civilians, as Tehran threatened to target UK, French and US military bases in the region if they help defend Israel.
The stark threat from Defence Minister Israel Katz came as the two nations traded intensive missile and drone strikes for a second day, following Israel’s devastating “Operation Rising Lion” attack on Iranian nuclear sites and military leadership.
Iran has formally warned the UK, US and France that their military bases and naval vessels in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea will be targeted if they assist Israel in intercepting Iranian missiles, according to state media reports.
WESTERN BASES IN CROSSHAIRS
Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency reported that Tehran has explicitly communicated to the three Western powers that any country aiding Israel “will be considered a direct participant in hostilities.
The warning specifically threatens:
- Military bases in Persian Gulf nations
- Naval vessels in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea
- All facilities belonging to countries that help Israel’s defence
“If a conflict is imposed on us, all US bases are within our reach, and we will boldly target them in host countries,” Iranian Defense Minister General Aziz Nasirzadeh declared on Wednesday.
‘TEHRAN WILL BURN’
In a statement on Saturday, Israel’s Defence Minister Katz warned: “The Iranian dictator is turning the citizens of Iran into hostages and bringing about a reality in which they — especially the residents of Tehran — will pay a heavy price because of the criminal harm to Israeli civilians.
“If [Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei continues to fire missiles toward the Israeli home front — Tehran will burn.
CIVILIAN CASUALTIES MOUNT
The human cost of the escalation became starkly apparent when Iranian state TV reported that 60 people, including 20 children, were killed when an Israeli missile flattened a 14-storey housing complex called Shahid Chamran in Tehran.
Iran’s UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said overall, 78 people had been killed in Israel’s strikes on Friday, with more than 320 wounded, most of them civilians.
In Israel, at least three people have been killed by Iranian missile strikes, with dozens more injured. Two people died in central Israel early Saturday, while a woman killed in a Tel Aviv suburb brought the death toll to three.
NUCLEAR PROGRAMME TARGETED
The crisis erupted after Israel launched Operation Rising Lion on Friday, killing Iran’s highest-ranking military leaders and striking nuclear facilities at Natanz and Isfahan.
Among those killed were:
- Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s chief of staff
- General Hossein Salami, Revolutionary Guards commander
- Nine nuclear scientists
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the strikes targeted Iran’s nuclear programme, claiming Iran had “produced enough highly enriched uranium for nine atom bombs.
MISSILE BARRAGES CONTINUE
Iran has responded with waves of missile and drone attacks, with the Israeli military saying Tehran fired around 200 ballistic missiles in four waves.
Israeli military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said fighter jets were continuing to strike targets in Tehran, adding: “The way to Iran has been paved.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps appointed a new commander to replace the slain Hossein Salami, who vowed: “The gates of hell will soon open on Israel.”
WESTERN RESPONSE
The UK government has denied providing any military assistance to Israel’s strikes on Iran, while French President Emmanuel Macron stated that while France would defend Israel if attacked, it would not participate in offensive operations against Tehran.
However, US officials confirmed that American forces helped shoot down Iranian missiles on Friday, with two Navy destroyers firing interceptors and ground-based THAAD and Patriot batteries being used.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he was “alarmed” by the overnight strikes, tweeting: “We must urgently de-escalate & prevent any further harm to civilians.
NUCLEAR TALKS IN JEOPARDY
The escalation has thrown planned US-Iran nuclear talks, scheduled for Sunday in Oman, into serious doubt. Iranian state TV announced that Tehran would not participate in the sixth round of negotiations.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said: “You cannot claim to negotiate and at the same time divide work by allowing the Zionist regime to target Iran’s territory.
TRUMP WEIGHS IN
US President Donald Trump, who had previously warned Netanyahu against military action, described Israel’s attacks as “excellent” but said Iran now had a “second chance” to avoid further devastation.
“They can’t have a nuclear weapon. Very simple – they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters.
As both nations vow to continue their attacks, fears are growing of a wider regional conflagration that could draw in global powers and have devastating economic consequences as oil prices surge and markets tumble worldwide.
“Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei” (photo taken 19 November 2023) — provided by Khamenei.ir, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
