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Iran will "pay a heavy price" for civilian deaths: Netanyahu

Sunday, June 15


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Tehran. Iran launched a new wave of missiles against Israel on Sunday, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Tehran"will pay a very high price" after the death of a dozen civilians.

Israeli attacks have left at least 406 dead and 654 wounded in Iran, according to Human Rights Activists, a Washington-based human rights group that has long monitored the country. The Iranian government has not provided total casualty figures.

In Israel, which continues its attacks on military installations and fuel depots on Iranian soil, the population was called to shelter in place for the third consecutive day as alerts sounded for the arrival of another barrage of ballistic missiles fired from Iran.

In Tehran, the government announced that mosques, metro stations, and schools would serve as shelters for the population starting Sunday night.

In Israel, attacks early Saturday and Sunday left ten dead and more than 200 injured, according to emergency services and police, bringing the death toll since Friday to 13.

In Iran, at least 128 people, including women and children, have been killed and some 900 injured in Israeli attacks, according to the Etemad newspaper, citing the Health Ministry.

Israel's goal is to strike"all regime facilities and targets" in Iran, Netanyahu said Saturday.

The conflict began on Friday when the Israeli military launched an unprecedented, large-scale attack on Iran with the stated goal of preventing it from acquiring nuclear weapons.

After decades of proxy warfare and targeted operations, this is the first time the two countries have engaged in such intense military confrontation.

US President Donald Trump, an ally of Israel, urged the warring parties on Sunday to"reach an agreement." He said it was "possible" that his country could become involved in the conflict, but asserted that it was"not involved at this time."

But Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi claims he has "solid evidence of support from US forces and bases" for Israel's attacks.

Traffic jams at Tehran exits

The Israeli military said it hit 80 targets in Tehran on Sunday, deploying"about 50 fighter jets."

Among the targets were nuclear-related facilities and two fuel depots. New explosions were heard in Tehran on Sunday afternoon.

According to the Iranian news agency Isna, one of the targets was the police headquarters in the center of the capital, where cafes and shops have reopened and traffic has resumed.

Highway police chief Ahmad Karami told IRNA news agency that traffic was"heavy at the capital's exit points" and that the number of vehicles leaving Tehran was "increasing."

The Israeli military has asked the Iranians to evacuate areas "near military facilities."

He also claimed to have attacked the Ministry of Defense and the so-called Defense Innovation and Research Organization, which he considers to be at the heart of Iran's nuclear weapons project.

"Nothing left"

Early Sunday morning, sirens sounded again in several Israeli cities.

In Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv, several residential buildings were destroyed by Iranian attacks.

"There's nothing left, there's no house, it's over!" said Evgenia Doudka, whose apartment was destroyed."The alarm went off and we went to the shelter. Suddenly, the whole shelter was filled with dust, and that's when we realized a disaster had just occurred."

"I'm stressed and in shock. I've been through difficult times in my life, but I've never been in a situation like this," said Julia Zilbergoltz, a resident whose home was hit by a missile.

Since the conflict began on Friday, 13 people have died and 380 have been injured in Israel, according to authorities.

"Iran will pay a very high price for the premeditated murder of civilians, women and children," Netanyahu said during a visit to Bat Yam.

Most of the Iranian missiles and drones have been intercepted, according to the Israeli military, and the United States assisted Israel in shooting them down, a U.S. official said Friday.

Israel's massive air campaign against Iran launched on Friday killed senior Iranian regime officials, including Revolutionary Guards chief Hossein Salami, army chief of staff Mohamed Baqeri, and nine nuclear scientists.

Both Israel and Western countries accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, something Tehran denies and defends its right to develop a civilian nuclear program.

"If the aggression stops, our response will stop," said the Iranian foreign minister, accusing Israel of trying to"derail" the indirect nuclear negotiations that began in April with the United States.

Israel's attacks targeted, among others, the Natanz uranium enrichment center in the center of the country, the surface part of which was destroyed, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Israel also said it had"dismantled" a uranium conversion plant in Isfahan.

After attacking air defense systems and dozens of missile launchers, Israel said Saturday it now has"freedom of air action across western Iran, all the way to Tehran."

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