Iran Retaliates with Massive Ballistic Missiles… AP:"At Least 3 Killed, Dozens Wounded in Israel"

Israel also continues to attack Iran… Explosions in Tehran on the morning of the 14th, international airport also targeted

‘Blame-and-blame war’ without any contact at UN Security Council… International community’s all-out diplomatic war to ‘prevent worsening of the situation’

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Im Ji-woo and Kim Yong-rae = After Israel bombed Iran's nuclear facilities and military leaders, the clashes between the two countries continued fiercely for the second day.

As Iran launched a massive retaliatory air strike using ballistic missiles, the United States mobilized its military assets to defend Israel.

As Israel's military operations continue and Iran's continued retaliation is expected, tensions in the Middle East are at an all-out level. The international community is going all out to prevent the situation from worsening.

Amid concerns over an escalating war, including a blockade of key trade routes by Iran and its proxies and U.S. intervention, raw material and financial markets were greatly shaken.

Iran, which was attacked by Israel on the 13th (local time), launched a large-scale retaliation by launching a large number of missiles toward the Israeli mainland starting that night.

The Israeli military announced that it had detected and intercepted around 100 missiles flying from Iran at around 9 p.m. that night.

Iran's airstrikes continued approximately four times until the early morning of the next day, the 14th.

The Associated Press reported that Iran also fired missiles toward Israel on the morning of the 14th, killing at least three people and wounding dozens in Israel.

However, the Israeli military said it had intercepted most of the Iranian missiles.

Foreign media outlets have reported that some buildings in downtown Tel Aviv were destroyed by debris and that an apartment complex was also damaged.

Israeli authorities said 34 people were wounded and one killed in Tel Aviv and elsewhere in Iran's retaliation.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei asserted the legitimacy of retaliation, saying on Tuesday that"they started this war" against Israel.

The Israeli military attacked nuclear facilities and military headquarters throughout Iran in the early hours of the 13th, and continued to attack Iranian air force bases and missile launchers in the afternoon.

Israeli air strikes continued into the night of the 13th and into the early morning of the 14th.

The Israeli military said it struck dozens of targets, including air defense systems, in the Iranian capital Tehran overnight.

The Associated Press reported that shortly after midnight, explosions and the roar of Iranian air defense systems could be heard in central Tehran, with air raid sirens blaring everywhere.

Local residents also testified that they heard several explosions and the sound of anti-aircraft missiles being launched in Tehran on the morning of the 14th.

Mahsha (47), an engineer living in northern Tehran, told the New York Times that he has trouble sleeping because he constantly hears explosions, and that some residents are out in their gardens or on the streets for fear of being hit by missiles.

According to the New York Times, local residents also reported that Iranian air defense networks continued to fire on Pasteur Street in Tehran, where Iran's leadership, including the presidential office and the Supreme Leader's official residence, are located.

There were also reports that Tehran's international airport was attacked.

Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that a fire had broken out at Mehrabad International Airport. A post on social media site X showed footage showing flames and smoke billowing from what appeared to be Mehrabad Airport.

Reuters, citing Iranian state media, reported that a fighter jet hangar at Mehrabad airport was targeted.

Iran's UN ambassador Amir Saeed Irabani said the Israeli attack had killed 78 people, including military officials, and wounded 320.

Israel threatened retaliation, saying Iran had crossed a"red line" by firing missiles at a civilian-populated area.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned in a video message on the evening of the 13th that"there will be more attacks in the future," targeting the Iranian regime rather than the Iranians.

As Iran's large-scale retaliatory airstrikes breached some of Israel's defenses and caused widespread damage, the United States also responded.

The U.S. government said that its military assisted Israel in intercepting Iranian ballistic missiles that night and that it mobilized ground and sea forces to help defend Israel.

The U.S. Navy has ordered its main destroyers to move forward in preparation for possible Iranian retaliation, and Air Force fighter jets have also stepped up security measures.

European countries, which are U.S. security allies, also expressed their willingness to support. French President Emmanuel Macron said he would participate in Israel's defense operations, depending on the situation.

Iran and Israel, which had signaled a vicious cycle of retaliation, exchanged words at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council convened at Iran's request.

Iran's UN Ambassador Abdullah Irabani strongly condemned Israel's barbaric and criminal attack in violation of international law.

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon said the attack was carried out to protect Israel's security, adding that"the Iranian regime was preparing for war."

Meanwhile, Jordan, a country bordering Israel, announced that it would reopen its closed airspace at 7:30 a.m. on the 14th to resume civil aviation operations, Jordan's state-run Petra News Agency reported.

Jordanian authorities appeared to have determined there was no immediate danger within the country's airspace, the AP reported.

Previously, Middle Eastern countries such as Jordan and Iraq had completely closed their air routes due to the armed conflict between Israel and Iran.

The shock waves of the Middle East turmoil were felt in the markets, with international oil prices soaring and stock prices in major countries falling en masse.

On this day, international oil prices surged by about 7% from the previous day, and the New York stock market also closed lower.

In particular, oil prices surged amid growing concerns that Iran could block the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil transit route in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, leaders of major countries have begun diplomatic battles one after another to prevent the situation from worsening.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a three-way phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz today to discuss the situation in the Middle East.

Prime Minister Starmer also spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump in succession, emphasizing a diplomatic solution.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also expressed his willingness to act as a mediator during back-to-back phone calls with the leaders of Iran and Israel, the Kremlin said.

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