Despite President Donald Trump's recent announcement of a two-week window for peace negotiations between Israel and Iran, hostilities between the two nations have intensified, with military exchanges showing no signs of slowing. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that approximately 60 Israeli fighter jets carried out coordinated airstrikes over Iran, targeting multiple locations around the capital, Tehran. Among the sites hit were facilities linked to Iran’s nuclear program, including the headquarters of the country’s nuclear research agency. Israeli officials also claimed to have destroyed additional Iranian missile sites.
In retaliation, Iran launched another missile barrage at southern Israel. The city of Beersheba, which had already been hit the day before, was struck again, with missiles reportedly targeting a technology park near Soroka Medical Center. The repeated breach of Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system highlighted Iran’s continued offensive capability.
While Beersheba remained under fire, other parts of Israel, including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, experienced a relatively quiet night with no reported air raid sirens.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that Israeli strikes caused significant damage to “key buildings” at a nuclear facility under construction near the city of Arak. Although the site housed no nuclear material at the time, the IAEA warned that continued strikes carry the risk of a "radiological accident." The Arak facility, located about 250 kilometers southwest of Tehran, is a heavy water reactor capable of producing plutonium as a byproduct, a material that can be used in nuclear weapons.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi emphasized the importance of regular and timely technical updates from Iran under the current volatile conditions, even as the agency confirmed there had been no "major radiological incident" to date.
Meanwhile, Thursday’s Iranian missile strike on the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba injured at least 80 people, mostly from shattered glass and ceiling debris. The attack hit the hospital’s surgery department shortly after 7 a.m., sparking a fire and damaging multiple buildings. Hospital director Shlomi Codish noted that the affected wing had been evacuated in advance, preventing casualties in the department itself. At the time of the attack, approximately 700 patients were inside the hospital; 300 remain in care.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of confusion and urgency. “It was total chaos, basically,” said Joseph Kushnir, a psychiatrist at the hospital, who arrived shortly after the blast. “We were prepared for a mass-casualty event; fortunately it didn’t happen.”
In response, Israel’s defense minister issued a direct threat against Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, accusing him of orchestrating attacks on Israel through proxy forces. As reported by Al Jazeera, the minister declared that eliminating Khamenei is now a strategic objective of Israel’s broader military campaign.
“This man, who is willing to attack us, must not stay alive,” the minister stated. “The matter of stopping this man, eliminating him, is part of the campaign.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also addressed the Iranian public via video, expressing hope that ongoing military operations might ultimately contribute to greater freedom for the Iranian people.
The continued military escalation casts a shadow over hopes for a diplomatic resolution, even as international observers urge both sides to pursue restraint and dialogue.
