At least eight persons have been killed and dozens injured in central Israel after Iran launched a third wave of retaliatory missile and drone strikes on Monday morning, escalating one of the most severe confrontations between the two regional adversaries in decades.
According to Israeli officials, the latest barrage targeted key strategic locations, including an intelligence base in Tel Aviv and infrastructure near the port city of Haifa. Iranian missiles reportedly struck the vicinity of a power plant in Haifa, with maritime security firm Ambrey confirming the outbreak of fires.
The strikes come in response to Israel's bombing of Tehran late Sunday, which resulted in the death of at least 224 people, including 70 women and children. Among the fatalities were the head of intelligence for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and two other senior generals.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on Monday that the response from Tehran would cease only when Israel ends its aggression. “The Iranian response will stop when Israel halts its attacks on Iran,” he said, in remarks that underlined the deepening impasse.
The UK-based Ambrey further reported video footage of Israeli defence systems intercepting incoming projectiles, although at least two hypersonic missiles appeared to evade interception, striking sensitive infrastructure.
United States President Donald Trump, speaking before his departure to attend the G7 summit in Canada, expressed hope that the two nations could eventually reach a diplomatic understanding. However, he reaffirmed Washington’s unwavering support for Israel.
“We are hopeful that a deal can be reached,” Trump said. “But make no mistake, our support for Israel remains absolute.”
Despite calls for de-escalation from several global actors, Tehran has made clear that it is not presently willing to negotiate. “The Iranians informed Qatari and Omani mediators that they will only pursue serious negotiations once Iran has completed its response to the Israeli pre-emptive strikes,” an official briefed on the communication stated.
Also read: Israel, Iran exchange fire for third straight day, over 230 dead
“Iran made clear that it will not negotiate while under attack,” the official added, ruling out immediate prospects of a ceasefire.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a fiery address on Monday, vowing continued resistance. “The enemy cannot remove us and the nation from the scene by beating, killing and assassinating,” he said.
“Because for every hero whose flag falls, there are hundreds of other heroes who will take up the flag and stand against the cruelty, injustice, crime and betrayal that these cowards are committing,” he declared.
President Pezeshkian reiterated that Iran was not the aggressor in this conflict. “Israel imposed the war on Iran, and thus we have the right to defend and retaliate under international law,” he said.
Dismissing Western fears regarding nuclear ambitions, Pezeshkian insisted: “We are not seeking nuclear weapons,” adding, “the West is saying Iran should not obtain such weapons while we have no intention of obtaining these weapons at all.”
However, he reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to uranium enrichment for peaceful purposes. “We have the right to benefit from nuclear energy,” the president affirmed.
Meanwhile, several Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) platforms have suggested that Israel may have coordinated its recent strikes with the United States and allegedly employed a “mowing the grass” strategy — a tactic aimed at maintaining long-term military advantage through periodic offensives — while diplomatic overtures served to distract Tehran.
With both sides locked into cycles of attack and reprisal, fears of the conflict spilling into a broader regional war are mounting.
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