The governments of Israel and the United States are intensifying their threats and messages warning of the alleged vulnerability of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. President Donald Trump has stated that they will not kill him"for now," but is calling for his surrender as signs of Washington's possible direct involvement in the escalation emerge. Khamenei, in a message read on television, responded that this will not happen and also warned of the"grave and irreparable consequences" that would result from the US joining the bombing.
Russia, which has already offered to act as a mediator, wasted no time in trying to persuade Trump, warning him that direct Washington support for the Israeli offensive in Iran would further destabilize the Middle East, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. The Israeli government, for its part, suggests it is not so much hoping for a forced regime change, but rather for the regime to fall as a result of the situation created by the war.
The strategy of pressure on Khamenei and his entourage, despite all the information on the Iranian supreme leader's whereabouts and movements that both countries may have, remains secondary to the Israeli army's attacks. Its troops have continued to strike at nuclear and military facilities throughout the Islamic Republic in recent hours. For now, this appears to be their priority, although the targeted assassinations of senior security officials and nuclear scientists are also an important part of the offensive.
A centrifuge plant attacked
Among the twenty infrastructure hit this Wednesday by the fifty Israeli Air Force fighter jets that launched attacks was a plant for manufacturing centrifuges for enriching uranium in Karaj, near Tehran. Israel assumes, although it has not presented proof, that these centrifuges are used to produce nuclear weapons. Also in the vicinity of the capital, they have attacked facilities that manufacture surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles like those the Islamic Republic uses to respond to the Israeli offensive. They have also reported the destruction of five Iranian combat helicopters. Meanwhile, thousands of people are fleeing the capital, according to the Reuters news agency.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN's nuclear agency, reports that two sites where centrifuge parts are manufactured have been bombed. These were the TESA Karaj workshop, where two buildings were destroyed, and the Tehran Research Center, where one of its buildings was hit."At the Tehran plant, a building where advanced centrifuge rotors were manufactured and tested was hit," reads the statement posted on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
In Karaj,"two buildings where various centrifuge components were manufactured have been destroyed," the agency added. Both sites were previously under IAEA monitoring and verification as part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal signed in 2015 between Western powers and Tehran to ensure the peaceful purposes of Iran's nuclear program.
“Intelligent people who know Iran, the Iranian nation, and its history will never speak to this nation in threatening language because the Iranian nation will not surrender,” Khamenei said, according to Reuters, in his first remarks since Friday, shortly after the Israeli offensive began. “Americans should know that any US military intervention will undoubtedly cause irreparable damage.”
Moscow has warned Washington against direct involvement in the war."The United States is always at the forefront of all events," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov asserted,"and it would be wrong to say that it didn't interfere before and will do so now; but providing military support to Israel is another matter." In an interview with Interfax, the Russian diplomat rejected"all the options" and "speculations" floated by the Trump administration regarding its involvement in the attacks against Iran."This step would radically destabilize the entire current situation," he added.
The Kremlin, an ally of Iran and to some extent a partner of Israel, has attempted to position itself as a mediator in the conflict while invading Ukraine. On Tuesday, Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, accused Israel of rejecting its proposal."The Russian president stated that Russia is ready to offer its services as a mediator if necessary. We observe a certain reluctance, at least on the part of Israel, to resort to any mediation and, in general, to opt for a peaceful path to reaching an agreement," Peskov said.
The level of tension remains high, with three waves of Iranian missiles hitting Israeli territory throughout Wednesday. Two at the start of the day and a third late in the afternoon. Neither had tragic consequences, although both episodes have forced millions of people to flee to shelters.
The United States government has offered to remove Israeli citizens who wish to do so by land or air, according to an announcement by its ambassador, Mike Huckabee:"Urgent notice! American citizens wishing to leave Israel: The U.S. Embassy in Israel is working on evacuation flights and cruise ship departures."
