Israel’s defense minister issued an warning to Iran on Saturday saying “Tehran will burn” if the Islamic Republic persists in its missile attacks against Israel.
Following a meeting with Israel’s military chief, Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Iran would face grave consequences for endangering Israeli citizens.
His remarks came after Iran fired a volley of missiles in retaliation for Israeli airstrikes that targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities a day earlier.
Iran's Retaliation After Israeli Strikes
In the early hours of Saturday, Iran launched drones and missiles at Israel in response to Israeli attacks that struck deep within Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and military leadership. At least three Israelis were killed and dozens injured in the Iranian strikes, according to Israeli officials.
The Israeli offensive, carried out using both aircraft and drones reportedly pre-positioned inside Iran, targeted sensitive military and nuclear sites, killing high-ranking generals and scientists. Iran’s ambassador to the U.N. reported 78 fatalities and over 320 injuries from the attacks.
In response, Iran sent waves of ballistic missiles and drones toward Israeli cities, lighting up the skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The Israeli military, already strained after nearly two years of war following Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack, urged civilians to take shelter.
Both nations signaled their readiness to continue hostilities, raising concerns of a prolonged regional conflict. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated his aim is to eliminate any threat from Iran, and called on the Iranian people to resist their rulers. He added that while Israel was not directly working toward regime change, it would welcome such an outcome.
