
Iranian missile strikes in Israel kill at least 2 as defense minister warns 'Tehran will burn'
Iranian Foreign Minister
Abbas Araghchi held a phone call last night with U.N. Secretary General António Guterres in which he told him that Israel's airstrikes 'constitute a blatant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as an independent U.N. member state, and are a clear act of aggression.'
'The foreign minister reiterated Iran's determination to defend itself in line with Article 51 of the U.N. Charter and urged the Security Council and the secretary general to fulfill their responsibilities under the Charter by strongly condemning this aggression and taking immediate and concrete measures to hold the Israeli regime accountable,' Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
'The U.N. secretary general voiced regret over the Israeli aggression and condemned its attacks against Iran, particularly the strikes on nuclear facilities at a time when talks between Iran and the U.S. were ongoing. He underscored his commitment to using U.N. mechanisms to help de-escalate tensions and restore peace and stability in the region,' it added.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz sent a stark warning to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as tensions between their two nations continue to rise.
"The Iranian dictator is turning Iran's citizens into hostages and creating a reality in which they — especially the residents of Tehran — will pay a heavy price for the criminal attacks against Israeli civilians. If Khamenei continues to fire missiles at Israel's home front – Tehran will burn," Katz said following a situation assessment with IDF Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and top IDF officials.
Iran has reportedly confirmed that its Fordow nuclear site was damaged, according to Reuters, which cited the semi-official ISNA news agency.
"There has been limited damage to some areas at the Fordow enrichment site," state atomic energy agency spokesperson Behrouz Kamalvandi said, according to Reuters. "We had already moved a significant part of the equipment and materials out, and there was no extensive damage and there are no contamination concerns."
It is unclear whether this was a direct result of an Israeli strike, as an IDF official said on Saturday that Israel did not hit Fordow.
Elon Musk seemed to indicate that Starlink was made available to the people of Iran after reports of the country limiting internet access following Israeli airstrikes.
During a Friday appearance on "Hannity," Mark Levin, the host of "Life, Liberty and Levin," called on Musk to "turn on Starlink" for the people of Iran. Levin then tweeted about the possibility of Musk turning on Starlink to which the Tesla founder replied, "the beams are on."
At least two people have been killed following four rounds of Iranian missile strikes into Israel.
An Israeli woman who was critically wounded by Iranian missiles died from her wounds she sustained in attacks late Friday in Tel Aviv, the Jerusalem Post reported, and another person was killed after a fourth wave of strikes decimated a residential area at dawn Saturday in central Israel.
In addition, several homes in Tel Aviv were reportedly damaged by Iranian ballistic missiles as first responders searched for survivors.
Iran launched missile strikes targeting various parts of Israel on Friday night and early Saturday morning.
Images posted online showed homes destroyed and others with partial damage.
Magen David Adom, Israel's national EMS, said it was treating and evacuating 21 people after a rocket strike into a residential area in the country's coastal plain.
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CNN
10 minutes ago
- CNN
US used up about a quarter of its high-end missile interceptors during Israel-Iran war, exposing gap in supplies
The Middle East National security Asia North KoreaFacebookTweetLink Follow The United States blew through about a quarter of its supply of high-end THAAD missile interceptors during Israel's 12-day war with Iran in June, according to two sources familiar with the operation, thwarting attacks at a rate that vastly outpaces production. US forces countered Tehran's barrage of ballistic missiles by firing more than 100 THAADs (short for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) – and possibly as many as 150 – a significant portion of America's stockpile of the advanced air defense system, the sources said. The US has seven THAAD systems, and used two of them in Israel in the conflict. Using so many THAAD interceptors in such a short period exposed a gap in the US missile defense network and depleted a costly asset at a moment when American public support for Israeli defense has reached historic lows. Former US defense officials and missile experts told CNN that the rapid drawdown has also raised concerns about America's global security posture and ability to regenerate supplies at speed. Last year, the US produced only 11 new THAAD interceptors and is expected to receive just 12 more this fiscal year, according to the 2026 budget estimates from the Department of Defense. In response to questions regarding the US's THAAD stockpile and the expenditure of interceptors during the 12-day conflict, Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said the US military 'is the strongest it has even been and has everything it needs to conduct any mission anywhere, anytime, all around the world. If you need further proof, look no further than Operation Midnight Hammer and the total obliteration of Iran's nuclear capabilities.' CNN reported that an early intelligence assessment determined the US' strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities last month did not destroy the core components of the country's nuclear program and likely only set it back by months. The US administration dismissed the assessment, and the CIA later said it had evidence Iran's nuclear program was 'severely damaged.' A defense official declined to provide information on the THAAD inventory due to operational security concerns, but said the Defense Department 'remains postured to respond to any threat.' The number of THAADs spent in the 12-day war was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Despite the heavy use of THAADs during the 12-day war to help fend off Tehran's assault last month, dozens of Iranian missiles still struck Israel. THAAD is a mobile system that can engage and destroy short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles both inside and outside of the Earth's atmosphere during their final phase of flight. Each battery is operated by 95 American soldiers, armed with six launchers, and 48 interceptors. The interceptors are manufactured by Lockheed Martin and cost roughly $12.7 million, according to the 2025 Missile Defense Agency budget. The US plans to acquire 37 THAAD interceptors next year, according to the 2026 Department of defense budget estimates, financed partially by the latest addition to President Donald Trump's so-called 'big, beautiful bill.' A defense official said the 2026 budget 'prioritizes funding in the defense industrial base, a core strategic asset that provides and sustains our military's technology, equipment, and supplies.' 'The budget includes an additional $1.3 billion for industrial based supply chain improvements, and an additional $2.5 billion for missiles and munitions production expansion,' the official said. 'The Department's role is to ensure that the President is armed with the best possible military options for any scenario – and all options remain on the table.' But experts and former defense officials warn that supplies need to be ramped up significantly to deal with the shortfall. 'It is important to recognize the level of commitment and the level of expenditure here in defense of Israel is significant,' said a missile defense expert who has been tracking the US government's expenditure. 'The reports about THAAD expenditure are concerning. This is not the sort of thing that the US can afford to continue to do on and on,' he added. 'It was a major commitment to our Israeli ally, but missile defense interceptor capacity is definitely a concern, and THAAD is a very scarce resource.' A senior retired US army officer who asked not to be named said around 25% of THAAD's total inventory was used by US forces in Israel participating in the war effort. 'The (Department of Defense) is looking at wartime stockage levels of critical munitions and attempting to significantly increase annual production capacity, an effort that is long overdue,' the source said. US interceptor stockpile concerns preceded the 12-day war, according to four former senior US defense officials who say that the problem is most acute in inventories of high-end interceptors that are a key part of deterrence against China. 'What I can say without giving any numbers is I was surprised at how low some of the levels of readiness were,' said one former defense official who left his post in the last year. 'Stockpiles are dropping. We need more. We need them faster than they are being built,' said the same ex-official. 'This is a concern. It was a concern during the Biden administration. I'm sure it's a concern now during the Trump administration,' one former senior Biden defense official said. 'Air defense is relevant in all of the major theaters right now. And there's not enough systems. There's not enough interceptors. There's not enough production and there are not enough people working on it,' said Mara Karlin, former US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities under Biden. 'You have the challenge of something being both incredibly relevant and also there's a dearth of them,' she added. There are nine active THAAD batteries globally, according to manufacturer Lockheed Martin. The US military has seven of those and plans to have an eighth active by 2025, according to the Congressional Research Service. Data available in 2019 showed that five of the US' THAADs were stationed at bases in Texas, one in Guam and one in South Korea; by last year, the Pentagon had moved two of those batteries to the Middle East to protect Israel. Two others were delivered to the United Arab Emirates and have been used to intercept Houthi militant ballistic missiles. While most of Iran's missiles were downed by Israeli and US air defenses, experts, open-source data and video from the ground reviewed by CNN showed that dozens did manage to get through. Tehran's success rate rose as the war raged on, amounting to some of the worst damage Israel has seen in decades. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Iran fired over 500 long-range ballistic missiles, and it was able to intercept around 86% of those – with 36 Iranian missiles striking built-up areas. Major cities like Tel Aviv suffered extensive damage, whole apartment buildings were destroyed, sensitive military sites targeted, parts of the power grid were taken out and 29 people were killed. Israel's tax authority estimated in late June that the war would cost the country at least $1.8 billion in damage, but with claims still yet to be filed that number was expected to rise. Analysis conducted by DC-based think tank Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) estimated that THAADs – alongside Israel's Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 interceptors – downed 201 of Iran's 574 missiles, with 57 hitting populated areas. The report estimated that the US' THAAD system accounted for almost half of all interceptions, indicating that Israel's Arrow interceptor stockpiles were insufficient. Israel's Iron Dome system was designed to deflect shorter-range rockets than those being fired by Iran. 'After burning through a large portion of their available interceptors, the United States and Israel both face an urgent need to replenish stockpiles and sharply increase production rates,' Ari Cicurel, author of the report, wrote, estimating that it would take three to eight years to replenish at current production rates. According to data compiled by JINSA, interception rates lagged as the war wore on. Only 8% of Iranian missiles penetrated defenses in the first week of the war. That doubled to 16% in the second half of the conflict and eventually culminated at 25% on the final day of the war before the ceasefire. Analysts say there are several possible reasons for the trend, including an Iranian shift of focus from military targets to populated urban areas, where interception is less robust. Iran also fired more sophisticated missiles as the war progressed. '(Iran) increasingly employed more advanced systems,' said Mora Deitch, head of the data analytics center at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies (INSS). 'These included newer missiles with multiple warheads or decoys, which may individually cause less damage but can overwhelm and saturate air defense systems.' Deitch also suggests that Israel may have deliberately relaxed its interception rate. 'Israel's air defense policy may have evolved over time to accommodate a protracted engagement with Iran,' said Deitch. 'What appears as a decline in interception effectiveness might instead reflect a deliberate shift in strategy rather than a technological shortfall.' Still missile defense analysts say they saw clear signs of air defense depletion. 'The presence of the THAAD battery in the first place suggests that the Israelis don't have a super deep interceptor magazine,' said Sam Lair, research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS). Lair published analysis of interceptors seen in a series of social media video taken by a Jordanian photographer, Zaid Abbadi, from his rooftop in an Amman suburb as the missiles flew overhead. Lair counted 39 THAAD among 82 advanced interceptors in the sample, which consisted of sporadically recorded night-time recording. CNN was able to verify the THAAD tally from the videos. Over half a dozen experts say the number represents a very conservative baseline. Drawing on calculations about publicly available data on batteries, interceptor reloads, and the number of Iranian ballistic missiles fired, experts believe that the US military fired at least 80 THAAD interceptors. 'The 12-day war in June of this year essentially saw the first significant expenditure of THAAD interceptors,' said Timur Kadyshev, a senior researcher at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg. 'Israel was relatively successful in defending (with the US assistance) against unsophisticated Iranian missiles – at the cost of depleting available arsenals of interceptors.' The problem for the US is especially acute in the Indo-Pacific where China has tried to keep the US navy at arm's length, experts say. 'From a narrowly military standpoint, the Chinese are absolutely the winners in that these last almost two years in the Middle East have seen the US expend pretty substantial amounts of capabilities that the American defense industrial base will find pretty hard to replace,' said Sidharth Kaushal, senior research fellow at Royal United Services Institute. Ex-defense officials said dwindling defensive capabilities in the Indo-Pacific was a growing concern for the former administration of President Joe Biden as they used the US stockpile to battle Yemen's Houthi rebels. 'God forbid there should be a conflict in the Pacific, for example, then it really will put a huge strain our missile capacity and the ability for our military to have the munitions necessary to keep up,' said one former senior Biden administration defense official with direct knowledge of the US campaign against the Houthis. 'You have to make choices,' said Jennifer Kavanagh, senior fellow and director of military analysis at Defense Priorities. 'The Biden administration also should have thought about these trade-offs, but they were able to shrug them off because it was early in these wars… stockpiles were still deep enough that they could turn a blind eye to it.' 'But the Trump administration now is getting to a point where they're not going to be able to ignore the trade-offs.' CNN's Haley Britzky contributed to this report.


Bloomberg
5 hours ago
- Bloomberg
Houthis Vow to Step Up Shipping Attacks to Press Israel on Gaza
Houthi militants pledged to target ships of any company that deals with Israeli ports, escalating their military operations in a bid to increase pressure on Israel to further ease restrictions on the hunger-ravaged Gaza Strip. The targeted ships will be attacked 'in any location within the reach of our armed forces,' a spokesman for the Iranian-backed group, Yahya Saree, said in televised comments. 'All our military operations will be ceased immediately upon the cessation of aggression against Gaza and the lifting of the blockade.'
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Israeli aid airdrop injures Palestinians in north Gaza; Hamas condemns move
At least 11 Palestinians have been injured due to aid airdrops in northern Gaza as one of the pallets fell directly on tents where displaced people are living, medical sources say. The Israeli military on Saturday announced that it 'carried out an airdrop of humanitarian aid as part of the ongoing efforts to allow and facilitate the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip'. But local sources in Gaza told Al Jazeera some of the aid pallets hit tents near al-Rasheed Road, a main road that runs along the coast of the enclave from north to south. Many other pallets were dropped in areas far from the displacement sites in northern Gaza and close to where the Israeli military is stationed. Meanwhile, after months of international pressure, the Israeli military on Sunday began a daily 'tactical pause' of its operations in parts of Gaza and established new aid Palestinian group Hamas said it considers Israel's airdrop operations and limited humanitarian corridors in Gaza a 'symbolic, deceptive move aimed at whitewashing its image before the world'. In a statement on Sunday, Hamas said Israel is 'deflecting international demands to lift the siege and end the starvation campaign against Palestinians', calling it part of 'a calculated policy to manage famine, impose coercive realities, and subject civilians to danger and humiliation'. 'The arrival of food and medicine to Gaza is not a favour, it is a natural right and an urgent necessity to stop the catastrophe imposed by the Nazi-like occupation,' Hamas said. Hamas also held Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 'directly responsible' for policies that have led to mass civilian deaths, calling his handling of aid and the starvation deaths of Palestinians 'clear-cut war crimes'. Al Jazeera's Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City, said airdrops carried out in the past in Gaza 'were not effective, they did not reach enough people, let alone the chaos and violence they have caused'. 'The airdrops confirm what we have reported in the past – that Gaza has turned into a testing lab and the Israeli military is experimenting with every attack, every policy,' he agencies said they are deeply sceptical that airdrops could deliver enough food safely to tackle a deepening hunger crisis facing Gaza's more than two million inhabitants while also calling it a 'grotesque distraction'. A number of Western and Arab governments carried out airdrops in Gaza in 2024 when aid deliveries by land also faced Israeli restrictions, but many in the humanitarian community consider them ineffective. 'Airdrops will not reverse the deepening starvation,' Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said on Saturday. 'They are expensive, inefficient and can even kill starving civilians.' But British Prime Minister Keir Starmer backed the idea last week, promising to work with Jordan to restart airdrops. The United Arab Emirates also said it would resume airdrops 'immediately'. The humanitarian situation in Gaza has gravely deteriorated in recent days, and more than 100 NGOs warned that 'mass starvation' was spreading in Gaza. Israel's military claims it does not limit the number of aid trucks going into Gaza and alleges that UN agencies and relief groups are not collecting aid once it is inside the territory. But humanitarian organisations accuse the army of imposing excessive restrictions while tightly controlling road access within Gaza. Solve the daily Crossword