New Israeli strikes hit Tehran as Iran warns that U.S. involvement would risk 'all-out war'
Share this @internewscast.com

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israeli warplanes targeted key locations in Iran’s capital from Tuesday night into Wednesday, while Iran responded with a limited missile launch toward Israel, reportedly causing no casualties. On Wednesday, an Iranian official cautioned that U.S. involvement in the ongoing conflict could escalate into “all-out war.”

In an interview with Al Jazeera English, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei issued the warning, stating that “any American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region.” While he didn’t provide further details, thousands of American troops stationed in adjacent countries remain within reach of Iranian weaponry. The U.S. has indicated a significant retaliatory potential to any offensive moves.

The Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, early Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

According to the Israeli military, their recent strikes targeted a facility involved in constructing uranium centrifuges and another site responsible for producing missile components. They reported intercepting 10 missiles overnight, as the frequency of Iran’s retaliatory launches continues to decrease.

Israel’s blistering attacks on Iran’s nuclear program and military sites began with a surprise bombardment on Friday. A Washington-based Iranian human rights group said at least 585 people, including 239 civilians, have been killed and more than 1,300 wounded.

Iran has fired some 400 missiles and hundreds of drones in retaliatory strikes that have killed at least 24 people in Israel and wounded hundreds. Some have hit apartment buildings in central Israel, causing heavy damage, and air raid sirens have repeatedly forced Israelis to run for shelter.

Iran has fired fewer missiles as the conflict has worn on. It has not explained the decline, but it comes after Israel has targeted launchers and other infrastructure related to the missiles.

All eyes are on Washington, where President Donald Trump initially distanced himself from the Israeli attacks but has hinted at greater U.S. involvement, saying he wants something “much bigger” than a ceasefire. The U.S. has also sent more warplanes to the region.

Casualties mount in Iran

The Washington-based group Human Rights Activists said it had identified 239 of those killed in Israeli strikes as civilians and 126 as security personnel.

The group, which also provided detailed casualty figures during 2022 protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, crosschecks local reports against a network of sources it has developed in the country.

Iran has not been publishing regular death tolls during the conflict and has minimized casualties in the past. Its last update, issued Monday, put the death toll at 224 people killed and 1,277 others wounded.

Shops have been closed across Iran’s capital, Tehran, including in its famed Grand Bazaar, as people wait in gas lines and pack roads leading out of the city to escape the onslaught.

A major explosion could be heard around 5 a.m. in Tehran Wednesday morning, following other explosions that boomed earlier in the predawn darkness. Authorities in Iran offered no acknowledgement of the attacks, which has become increasingly common as the Israeli airstrikes have intensified.

At least one strike appeared to target Tehran’s eastern neighborhood of Hakimiyeh, where the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has an academy.

No signs of backing down

Israel says it launched the strikes to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon, after talks between the United States and Iran over a diplomatic resolution had made little visible progress over two months but were still ongoing. Trump has said Israel’s campaign came after a 60-day window he set for the talks.

Iran long has insisted its nuclear program was peaceful, though it is the only non-nuclear-armed state to enrich uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. U.S. intelligence agencies have said they did not believe Iran was actively pursuing the bomb.

As the conflict entered a sixth day, neither side showed signs of backing down.

“We will show the Zionists no mercy,” Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in a post on his official X account.

“A storm is passing over Tehran,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz posted. “This is how dictatorships collapse.”

Trump demands Iranian surrender

Trump demanded “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” in a post on social media and warned Khamenei that the U.S. knows where he is hiding but that there were no plans to kill him “at least not for now.”

Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about the evolving situation over the phone on Tuesday, according to a White House official.

Iran offered no immediate response to the president’s posts, but the country’s military leaders vowed that Israel would soon see more attacks.

“The operations carried out so far have been solely for the purpose of warning and deterrence,” Gen. Abdul Rahim Mousavi, the commander in chief of Iran’s army, said in a video. “The punishment operation will be carried out soon.”

Israel welcomes first repatriation flights

Israelis began returning to the country on flights for the first time since the country’s international airport shut down at the start of the conflict.

Two flights from Larnaca, Cyprus, landed at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport on Wednesday morning, said Lisa Dvir, an airport spokesperson.

Israel closed its airspace to commercial flights because of the ballistic missile attacks, leaving tens of thousands of Israelis stranded abroad. The conflict has disrupted flight patterns across the region.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Police identify multiple suspects in brutal Cincinnati street fight: 'Cruel and absolutely unacceptable'

Lone 911 Call Emerges Following Viral Cincinnati Mob Attack

CINCINNATI – In the footage, a group is seen attacking two individuals…
Florida lifeguards rescue beached baby dolphin

Florida Lifeguards Save Stranded Baby Dolphin

Lifeguards in South Florida rescued an injured baby dolphin after it was…
Nighttime view of a pier extending into a body of water with a city skyline in the background.

Tragic Last Exchange Between Black Hawk Pilot and Instructor: Moments Before Mid-Air Collision with American Airlines Plane, Claims 67 Lives

THE pilots aboard the Black Hawk that collided with an American Airlines…
Colorado dentist's alleged internet search history takes center stage as murder trial begins

Colorado Dentist James Craig Convicted of Poisoning Wife to Death

This narrative touches upon suicide. If you or someone you know is…
Jared Bridegan's wrongful death lawsuit put on pause

Jared Bridegan’s Wrongful Death Case Temporarily Halted

Shanna Gardner, charged with Bridegan’s 2022 death, was mired in a longtime…
Aerial view of Severo-Kurilsk, Russia flooded by a tsunami.

Uncertainty Surrounds Condition of Russian Bases Housing Putin’s Key Nuclear Submarines Near Site of World’s 6th Largest Recorded Quake

THE condition of a prized Russian nuclear submarine base in the Pacific…
Map showing the location of Riverside, California and surrounding areas.

Twin Earthquakes Rattle Los Angeles: 4.4 Magnitude Shakes California

CALIFORNIA experienced two earthquakes on Thursday morning, occurring within minutes of each…
Brawl in Ukrainian parliament during anti-corruption bill vote.

Chaos Erupts in Ukrainian Parliament: Anti-Corruption Bill Approved Following Major Protests Against Zelensky Since War Prompted Reversal

A BRAWL has erupted in Ukraine’s parliament as Volodymyr Zelensky U-turned on…
Day 2 of federal probe into fatal midair crash of Army helicopter, passenger plane opens

Second Day Begins in Federal Investigation of Fatal Army Helicopter and Passenger Plane Midair Collision

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continues its public hearings on Thursday…
Surveillance video shows 26-year-old man grabbing toddler from mall play area before arrest for abduction

Video Footage Captures Man, 26, Attempting to Kidnap Toddler from Mall Play Zone Before Arrest

Police in Virginia released surveillance video of the moment a toddler was…
SEC Unveils Project Crypto: Paving the Way for America's Dominance in Digital Finance

SEC Launches Project Crypto: Leading the Charge for U.S. Supremacy in Digital Finance

By Jason Meyers In a ground-breaking address on July 31, 2025, at…
Massachusetts man sentenced following violent in-flight rampage on board United Airlines flight

Massachusetts Resident Receives Sentence for Chaotic Outburst on United Airlines Flight

This week, a Massachusetts man received a sentence after being filmed attacking…