Bersheba, Israel (AP) – Israel’s Minister of Defense threatened the Iranian Supreme Guide on Thursday The latest rocket fire Damage the main hospital in South Israel from Iran and met several other residential buildings near Tel Aviv. Israel now hit a heavy water reactor that is part of the Iranian nuclear program.
At least 240 people were wounded by the Iranian rockets, four of whom were serious, according to the Israeli Ministry of Health. The vast majority was slightly wounded, including more than 70 people from the Soroka Medical Center in the southern city of Bersheba, where Rauch rose, evacuated as emergency teams.
After the strikes, the Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz blame The top leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei And said that the military was “instructed and knows that this man shouldn’t exist to achieve all of his goals.”
US officials said this week that President Donald Trump had Veto inserted an Israeli plan to kill Khameni. Trump later said there were no plans to kill him, “at least not for the moment”.
Israel Striked strikes Iranian Arak heavy water reactorIn his last attack on the country extensive nuclear program. The conflict began last Friday with a surprise wave of Israeli air strikes that aimed at military sites, senior officers and nuclear scientists.
An Iranian human rights group based in Washington said at least 639 people, including 263 civilians, were killed in Iran and more than 1,300 injuries. As a retaliation, Iran fired over 400 rockets and hundreds of drones, killed at least 24 people in Israel and wounded hundreds.
In the meantime, an Israeli military officer said that Iran used a rocket with several explosive heads in an attack on Thursday and is a new challenge for his defense.
The official spoke about the condition of anonymity in accordance with military regulations.
There was no immediate independent analysis that could be carried out. In the past, however, Iran has indicated that it has followed such weapons.
Instead of having to follow an explosive head, rockets with several explosive heads can be a more difficult challenge for air defense systems such as Israel’s iron dome.
Raketenhits Main Hospital in South Israel
Two doctors told the Associated Press that almost immediately after switching off air raids, the rocket was beaten to a loud explosion that could be heard from a safe space. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to do so.
The hospital said the main effects on an old surgical building that had been evacuated in the past few days. After the strike, the medical facility was closed to all patients with the exception of life -threatening cases. Soroka has over 1,000 beds and offers services for around 1 million inhabitants of the Israel south.
There were no serious injuries from the strike in the hospital.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack and swore an answer and said: “We will experience the full price of the tyrants in Tehran.”
Iran fired hundreds of rockets and drones in Israel, although most of them were shot down Israel’s multi -stage air defenseRecognize the incoming fire and shoot rockets that go to population centers and a critical infrastructure. Israeli civil servants recognize that it is imperfect.
Many hospitals in Israel activated emergency plans last week, the parks changed into the low points in hospital floors and moving patients underground, especially those who are on ventilation work or quickly move quickly.
Israel also boasts A fortified, underground blood bench That was put into action by Hamas after October 7, 2023 The ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
“No risk of radiation” after the strike on the reactor
Israel’s military said that his fighter planes aimed at the ARAK facility and its reactor seal to prevent it from being used to manufacture plutonium.
“The strike aimed at the component for plutonium production in order to prevent the reactor from being restored and used for the development of nuclear weapons,” said the military. Israel claimed separately to have hit another location to have struck Natanz, which is related to the Iranian nuclear program.
Iranian state television said that “no risk of radiation” was from the attack on the Arak location. An Iranian television reporter who spoke live in the nearby city of Khondab said that the facility was evacuated and there was no damage to the civilian areas around the reactor.
Israel had warned on Thursday morning that it would attack the facility and asked the public to flee from the area.
Iran rejects calls to give up or end its nuclear program
Iran has long been able to maintain peaceful purposes. However, it also enriches uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step of gun quality of 90%. Iran is the only non-nuclear arms state that accumulates at this level.
Israel is the only nuclear armed state in the Middle East, but does not recognize that they have such weapons.
The strikes came a day after the highest leader of Iran had rejected US demands a surrender And warned that a military participation of the Americans would cause “irreparable damage”. Israel had lifted some restrictions on daily life on Wednesday, which indicates that Iran’s rocket threats loosened on his territory.
The Israel’s campaign was already against the Iranian enrichment location in Natanz, centrifid workshops around Tehran and a nuclear location in Isfahan. His strikes also have Top generals killed and nuclear scientists.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that he would travel to Geneva on Friday with his European colleagues, which points out that a new diplomatic initiative could possibly adopt shape. According to the Iranian official news agency IRNA, the meeting would include Foreign Minister from Great Britain, France and Germany and the top diplomat of the European Union.
Trump said he wants something “much bigger” that a ceasefire and an armistice the United States has not excluded that join Israel’s campaign. Iran has warned of bad consequences when the United States deepen its commitment without explaining.
Arak had been redesigned to clear up nuclear concerns
The Arak Heavy Water Reactor is 250 kilometers southwest of Tehran.
Heavy water helps to cool nuclear reactors, but creates plutonium as a by -product that may be used in nuclear weapons. This would provide Iran another way to the bomb that is beyond an enriched uranium if it should follow the weapon.
As part of its 2015 nuclear agreement, Iran had agreed with the world powers to redesign the facility due to distribution.
The reactor became a point of dispute after President Donald Trump was withdrawn from the nuclear agreement in 2018. Ali Akbar Salehi, a high -ranking nuclear officer in Iran, said in 2019 that Tehran bought additional parts to replace part of the reactor, which he could incorporate concrete into the concrete that could not be exploited under the deal.
In Israel, when his strike was carried out, it was signaled that the facility could produce plutonium again one day.
“The strike aimed at the component intended for plutonium production in order to prevent the reactor from being restored and used for the development of nuclear weapons,” said the Israeli military in an explanation.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, the nuclear watchman of the United Nations, has asked Israel not to strike the Iranian nuclear sites. According to reports, the IAEA inspectors Aak visited Arak on May 14th.
Due to the restrictions that Iran has imposed on the inspectors, the IAEO has announced that I have lost the “continuity of knowledge” about the severe water production of Iran – which means that the production and inventory of Tehran could not necessarily be checked.
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By Sam Mednick, Natalie Melzer and Jon Gambrell. Melzer reported by Tel Aviv, Israel and Gambrell from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press Writer Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv contributed.
