Defense officials within the Israeli military believe that the country has eliminated Iran’s Army Chief Mohammad Bagheri, other members of the military’s top brass, and senior nuclear scientists in its latest strike on Tehran.
Tensions in the Middle East have started to escalate as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares for a potential military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities, while the Ansar Allah movement, commonly known as the Houthis, has sent a warning to Israel and the United States, as per reports
Defense officials within the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) believe that Iran’s Army Chief Mohammad Bagheri and other senior military officials have been eliminated in its latest strike on the country’s capital, Tehran . The likelihood of their deaths is “increasing,” the Israeli defense officials said shortly after explosions rocked the Iranian capital, The Times of Israel reported.
Explosions heard in more Iranian cities#
Attacks also hit the western Iranian city of Kermanshah, with people there saying they heard explosions and saw black smoke rising over the city. It wasn’t immediately clear what the target was.
There also were explosions around the Iranian city of Tabriz, though what was happening there remained unclear.
Israel Prepares for Possible Strike on Iran#
This comes after an Israeli naval strike on Tuesday against Houthis, a member of the Iran-led Axis of Resistance coalition that has been engaged in missile and drone attacks against Israel since the war started between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement in October 2023, reported Newsweek.
US Evacuates Personnel Amid Growing Threats#
Meanwhile, the US State Department ordered non-emergency government officials and family members to evacuate from regional countries, including Iraq, Bahrain and Kuwait, after reports came that Israel might strike against Iran, according to the report.
US president Donald Trump said that Americans were advised to leave the region “because it could be a dangerous place, and we’ll see what happens,” quoted CBS News. He also emphasized that the United States did not want Iran to develop a nuclear weapon, as he said, “We’re not going to allow that,” as quoted in the report.
Nuclear Talks Between Washington and Tehran Continue#
The developments come amid uncertainties about the ongoing nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran, and President Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has planned to meet with Iran for a sixth round of talks on the country’s nuclear program in the coming days, according to CBS News.
Iran’s Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh has warned that if nuclear talks fail between both the countries and “a conflict is imposed on us,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “will target all U.S. bases in the host countries,” quoted CBS News.
While, the US president has repeatedly discouraged Netanyahu from taking military action against Iran while negotiations were ongoing, as per Newsweek.
Israel Iran War: Trump says US committed to diplomacy on Iran; urges Tehran to abandon nuclear ambitions#
“We remain committed to a Diplomatic Resolution to the Iran Nuclear Issue! My entire Administration has been directed to negotiate with Iran. They could be a Great Country, but they first must completely give up hopes of obtaining a Nuclear Weapon. Thank you for your attention to this matter!,” posted Donald Trump on Truth Social.