Iran's latest strikes on Tel Aviv, Haifa kill at least five
At least five people were killed in the latest Iranian strikes, the national emergency service said, bringing Israel's death toll to at least 18 since Friday.
At least 100 more were wounded in the overnight strikes, part of a wave of attacks by Tehran in retaliation for Israel's pre-emptive strikes targeting Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Advertisement
6 Israeli air defense systems are activated to intercept Iranian missiles over the Israeli city of Tel Aviv amid a fresh barrage of Iranian rockets on June 16, 2025.
AFP via Getty Images
Search and location operations were underway in Haifa where around 30 people were wounded, emergency authorities said, as dozens of first responders rushed to the strike zones.
Fires were seen burning at a power plant near the port, media reported.
Advertisement
Video footage showed several missiles over Tel Aviv and explosions could be heard there and over Jerusalem.
Several residential buildings in a densely populated neighbourhood of Tel Aviv were destroyed in a strike that blew out the windows of hotels and other nearby homes just a few hundred meters from the US Embassy branch in the city.
The US ambassador said the building sustained minor damage, but there were no injuries to personnel.
Guydo Tetelbaun was in his apartment in Tel Aviv when the alerts came in shortly after 4 a.m.
Advertisement
6 An explosion erupts from a missile fired from Iran in Tel Aviv, Israel, 16 June 2025.
ATEF SAFADI/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
'As usual, we went into the (shelter) that's right across the street there. And within minutes, the door of the (shelter) blew in,' the 31-year-old chef said.
'A couple of people came in bloody, all cut up. And then when we came to the apartment, after it quietened down, we saw there wasn't much of it… Walls are caved in, no more glass,' he added.
'It's terrifying because it's so unknown. This could be the beginning of a long time like this, or it could get worse, or hopefully better, but it's the unknown that's the scariest.'
Advertisement
The predawn missiles struck near Shuk HaCarmel, a popular market in Tel Aviv that typically draws large crowds of residents and tourists buying fresh fruits and vegetables, and to popular bars and restaurants. A residential street in nearby Petah Tikva and a school in ultra-Orthodox Jewish city Bnei Brak were also hit.
6 People evacuate after a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday June 16, 2025.
AP
'NEW METHOD'
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the latest attack employed a new method that caused Israel's multi-layered defence systems to target each other.
'The initiatives and capabilities used in this operation, despite the comprehensive support of the United States and Western powers and the possession of the most up-to-date and newest defence technology, led to the successful and maximum hitting of the missiles on the targets in the occupied territories,' it said.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strikes. Israeli officials have repeatedly said its 'Iron Dome' defence system is not 100% and warned of tough days ahead.
The death toll in Iran had reached at least 224, with 90% of the casualties reported to be civilians, an Iranian health ministry spokesperson said.
Israel's military said on Monday morning it had struck again at command centres belonging to the Revolutionary Guard and Iran's military.
LEADERS MEET
Advertisement
Group of Seven leaders began gathering in the Canadian Rockies on Sunday with the Israel-Iran conflict expected to be a top priority.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said his goals for the summit include for Iran to not develop or possess nuclear weapons, ensuring Israel's right to defend itself, avoiding escalation of the conflict and creating room for diplomacy.
'This issue will be very high on the agenda of the G7 summit,' Merz told reporters.
6 The Iron Dome, the Israeli air defense system, intercepts missiles fired from Iran, over Tel Aviv, Israel, 16 June 2025.
ATEF SAFADI/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Advertisement
Before leaving for the summit on Sunday, US President Donald Trump was asked what he was doing to de-escalate the situation. 'I hope there's going to be a deal. I think it's time for a deal,' he told reporters. 'Sometimes they have to fight it out.'
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian told parliament on Monday that the country has no intention to produce nuclear weapons but it would continue to pursue its right to nuclear energy and research.
Brent crude futures were up $0.70, or 1%, to $74.94 a barrel in Asian trade on Monday having jumped as much as $4 earlier in the session. While the spike in oil prices has investors on edge, stock and currency markets were little moved in Asia.
'It's more of an oil story than an equity story at this point,' said Jim Carroll, senior wealth adviser and portfolio manager at Ballast Rock Private Wealth. 'Stocks right now seem to be hanging on.'
Advertisement
6 Responders are seen next to a damaged building following a strike by an Iranian missile in the Israeli city of Petah Tikva, east of Tel Aviv, on June 16, 2025.
AFP via Getty Images
TRUMP VETOES PLAN TO TARGET KHAMENEI, OFFICIALS SAY
In Washington, two US officials told Reuters that Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan in recent days to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
When asked about the Reuters report, Netanyahu told Fox News on Sunday: 'There's so many false reports of conversations that never happened, and I'm not going to get into that.'
'We do what we need to do,' he told Fox's 'Special Report With Bret Baier.'
Advertisement
Israel began the assault with a surprise attack on Friday that wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command and damaged its nuclear sites, and says the campaign will escalate in the coming days.
6 Smoke billows from a site in the city of Haifa on June 16, 2025, following a fresh barrage of Iranian missiles.
AFP via Getty Images
Iran has vowed to 'open the gates of hell' in retaliation.
TRUMP WARNS IRAN NOT TO ATTACK US TARGETS
Trump has lauded Israel's offensive while denying Iranian allegations that the US has taken part and warning Tehran not to widen its retaliation to include US targets.
Two US officials said on Friday the US military had helped shoot down Iranian missiles that were headed toward Israel.
The US president has repeatedly said Iran could end the war by agreeing to tough restrictions on its nuclear program, which Iran says is for peaceful purposes but which Western countries and the IAEA nuclear watchdog say could be used to make an atomic bomb.
The latest round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the US, due last Sunday, was scrapped after Tehran said it would not negotiate while under Israeli attack.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
NATO chief warns Russia's trading partners after Trump's 100% tariff threat: ‘You might want to call Vladimir'
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned world leaders trading with Moscow on Monday that they should consider ringing Russian President Vladimir Putin and push him toward peace in Ukraine before President Trump's secondary tariffs kick in. 'Today, if you are in Beijing or in Delhi, or you're in Brazil, and you know that this is coming to you — you might want to call Vladimir and say, 'Hey, friend, we are still buying stuff from you, but you have got to get serious when it comes to these negotiations on the cease-fire or a peace deal,' Rutte said in an interview with Fox News 'Special Report' host Bret Baier. 3 Rutte lauded Trump's plan as 'smartly designed.' AFP via Getty Images Advertisement 'There will be also an effect directly on Russia, of course, but this is really significant, and it is just – it is smartly designed by the president,' the NATO chief said of Trump's tariff threat. Trump, during a White House meeting with Rutte, pledged to impose 'severe tariffs' on nations doing business with Russia if the Kremlin doesn't agree to halt its bloody war against Ukraine within the next 50 days. 'They'll be at 100%, and that is the way it is. It could not be more simple … I hope we don't have to do it,' the president said. Advertisement Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick later clarified that Trump was referring to secondary sanctions on Russia's trading partners, which punish individuals or entities who do business with a country. The Russian economy has already been strained by some direct US sanctions. 'If I was in the Kremlin today, I would not be too happy, because this is a clear signal that President Trump is here — he wants peace. He hates the fact that so many people lose their lives in Ukraine,' Rutte said. Trump also vowed Monday to provide 'billions of dollars' worth of weapons to Ukraine — paid for and distributed by NATO allies. Advertisement 'I think that's fair,' Rutte said of Trump's demand that NATO pay for the weapons. The NATO secretary general added that the alliance is 'good at logistics' and plans to deliver the weapons to Kyiv in 'packages which are really useful and for them to be maximum effective.' 3 Rutte argued that Russia's trading partners should pressure Putin into striking a peace deal with Ukraine. via REUTERS 3 Trump's decision to rearm Ukraine and slap sanctions on Russia comes after previous peace negotiations with the Kremlin failed to end in an agreement. Advertisement Rutte noted that Trump informed him last week that he wanted to step up for Ukraine. 'Last Thursday, I got a call from President Trump. He said, 'Hey, Mark, we really want to ramp up the support for Ukraine when it comes to weapons,'' Rutte said. 'And then this morning, I was in the White House preparing for the meeting with him, and he said, when it comes to the sanctions, clearly we have to take the next step now.' 'He was really, I think, irritated by his last phone call with Putin, who is not serious, it seems, about getting into peace deals.'
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
How To Become An Energy Superpower
Canada wants to become an energy superpower. But what does that mean and how do you achieve that ... More goal? (Photo by DAVE CHAN/AFP via Getty Images) In his first remarks as Canada's Prime Minister, Mark Carney pledged to make the country a '…superpower in both conventional and clean energy.' But what does it really mean to be an 'energy superpower'? Let's define it: an energy superpower is a country that wields influence over global energy markets through its substantial resources, production capabilities, infrastructure, trading capabilities, strategic policies and innovation capabilities. It can influence global prices, supply security and geopolitical alignments while maximizing the value of its domestic resources. Energy hegemony matters because the world's future economy demands vastly more energy. If all 8 billion people on Earth consumed as much energy per capita as the average North American, we would need five times today's energy supply. That doesn't even account for the impact of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution. In April, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt testified to the US Congress that energy demand from datacenters could triple by 2030, rising from 3% of demand now to 9%. By 2050, AI may account for more than half of total energy consumption in advanced economies. The rising global need for air conditioning amid record-breaking heat adds even more pressure, as does the mining of cryptocurrencies. If we supplied all that energy using fossil fuels, we would ensure that our climate crisis becomes a catastrophe. Today's energy superpowers are losing their grip. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Middle Eastern countries influence prices through OPEC and 'swing' capacity, but they lack clear energy transition strategies. The same is true for the United States, which leads in oil and gas production but has bungled its position in clean energy thanks to political dysfunction. The recently signed 'Big Beautiful Bill' ends various clean energy tax credits passed under President Biden, promising yet more uncertainty for energy innovators. In addition, the US and Canada have driven up the supply of LNG, dreaming that it will replace coal, but that may never happen. Cheap solar and wind have pushed LNG demand and prices downward, causing many projects to be cancelled. The outlook for the next five years is simply not good for LNG, as analysts continue to warn. And then there is Russia, which is rapidly losing influence over European energy markets. Meanwhile, China—with few fossil fuel resources—is emerging as the next dominant force in global energy, as I discussed in a previous post. Why? China controls critical minerals and their processing, dominates solar, wind, EVs and battery production, and is investing in advanced fission and fusion energy. As The New York Times put it, 'There's a race to power the future. China is pulling away.' If China becomes an energy superpower, it probably will use that position as a geopolitical cudgel. But it is not too late for the West. What our business and political leaders lack is a focused plan and the will and tenacity to achieve it. China has a strategic vision, crisply defined in five-year plans. The West has, well, elaborate permitting processes defined in legalese. We spend time determining who can't build what where, while China funds deliberate innovations and builds whatever, wherever it chooses. The next battlegrounds for energy superpowers are small modular reactors (SMRs), geothermal and, most importantly, fusion energy. Often called the 'holy grail' of clean energy, fusion promises reliable, abundant and safe baseload anywhere, anytime, with limited need for additional infrastructure. The country that cracks fusion first will almost certainly dominate global energy markets. Becoming an energy superpower requires long-term commitment, and China is investing accordingly. If countries in the West are serious about competing, they will need four things: Let's not forget that rising demand for energy is only part of this story. The growing frequency and cost of extreme floods, storms, wildfires and heatwaves, fueled by climate change, started this race to replace fossil fuels with cleaner and more scalable sources of energy. This is, indeed, a race. The first countries to become clean energy superpowers will be able to attract valuable industries, create high-paying jobs and wield geopolitical power for decades. The question isn't whether there will be a new energy superpower—it's whether the West has the will to outcompete China and the guts to challenge shortsighted business leaders and politicians at home who are committed to a status quo that is economically and ecologically untenable.
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
The Debate On Tariffs Ignores A Very Big Issue: The Tax Wedge
Headlines in the newspaper, 'The Philadelphia Inquirer' relate to the stock market crash, October 25, 1929. (Photo by) Getty Images The debate on tariffs ignores a very big issue: the tax wedge. A tariff is a tax, and a tax is a wedge, an obstacle between buyer and seller. How harmful the tax wedge is, of course, depends on its size and breadth. Let's make this simple. Suppose there is no income tax and a person making $40 an hour wishes to buy an item that costs $200. That individual would have to work five hours to make that purchase (five hours times $40 equals $200). Now, suppose the income tax is 50%. The would-be buyer keeps only $20 an hour after that 50% tax. This means the individual would have to work ten hours, instead of five hours, to make that purchase, thanks to the tax wedge. Currently, the tariff discussions have focused on inflation, i.e., what the impact of tariffs will be on prices. Overlooked is whatever impact tariffs might have on consumer prices; they will impose a wedge, a barrier to doing business. Taxes add friction to conducting business. The magnitude depends on the actual rates and how extensive they are on particular products and services, and the effect on supply chains and existing trading patterns. That's why the focus on inflation misses the bigger issue. Tariffs don't necessarily raise overall prices. The cost of that $200 item may not change, but the effort required to buy it will. That means less prosperity. Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell misses this point with his fussing about the possible impact of tariffs on prices. Instead, he should concentrate on the friction they will impose on commerce. Historically, the most devastating result from tariffs came from the sweeping Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act that began to wend its way through Congress in 1929, triggering the infamous stock market crash. It was signed into law in June 1930, imposing tariffs on thousands of items. The legislation triggered massive retaliations from other countries and effectively blew up the global trading system. Trade shriveled. It began what became the Great Depression, as it was followed by other big economic mistakes, particularly tax increases in the U.S., Britain, Germany and other nations. Countries resorted to competitive devaluations, what historians labelled beggar-thy-neighbor policies. This disastrous state of affairs is why nations, following World War II and led by the U.S., began a series of agreements reducing tariffs and other trade barriers. The resulting explosion in trade was critical to the huge economic growth the world experienced after 1945. The most immediate point to realize today is that the Smoot-Hawley tariffs didn't raise prices. The slump in commerce led to price cuts—prices don't go up in going-out-business sales. Thankfully, the tariffs being enacted or proposed today aren't yet on the scale of Smoot-Hawley. Moreover—and unlike in 1929–30—they are still fluid, still subject to change. Nonetheless, the helter-skelter way the tariff issue is being treated leads to real concerns. Hopefully, these are hard-fisted negotiating tactics that will yield sensible agreements and end up reducing trade barriers. But in the meantime, remember the impact the tax wedge can have on economic growth.
