Israel’s military said Iran launched about 100 drones toward Israel on Friday and that it was making an effort to shoot them down, following a wave of Israeli air strikes across the Islamic Republic.
“Iran launched approximately 100 UAVs towards Israeli territory, which we are working to intercept,” military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin told journalists.
He added that Israel’s strikes on Iran involved 200 fighter jets striking about 100 targets across Iran.
The Israeli military said that the intelligence it had gathered showed that Iran was approaching the “point of no return” on its nuclear programme.
“In recent months, accumulated intelligence information has provided evidence that the Iranian regime is approaching the point of no return,” it said in a statement.
“The convergence of the Iranian regime’s efforts to produce thousands of kilogrammes of enriched uranium, alongside decentralised and fortified enrichment compounds in underground facilities, enables the Iranian regime to enrich uranium to military-grade levels, enabling the regime to obtain a nuclear weapon within a short period of time,” it added.
Israeli attacks against Iran on Friday wounded at least 50 people, including women and children, state television in the Islamic Republic reported.
“Following the Israeli attack, about 50 injured people were transferred to Chamran Hospital (in Tehran), at least 35 of whom are women and children,” the broadcaster said, without announcing any deaths.
Iran’s oil ministry said key refineries and fuel depots were unaffected by Israel’s deadly attack on Friday, with operations continuing nationwide without disruption.
“No damage was caused to the country’s refining facilities and oil depots, and currently the activities of these facilities and fuel supply are ongoing in all parts of the country without interruption,” the ministry said in a statement.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that a wave of Israeli strikes on Iran had been “very successful,” warning they were only the opening salvos in a broader campaign against the Islamic Republic.
“We carried out a very successful opening strike, and with God’s help, we will achieve much more,” Netanyahu said in a video statement. He had earlier stated that the strikes on Iran would continue for “many days”.
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Israel would suffer severe consequences after launching deadly attacks on the country on Friday, including Tehran and nuclear sites.
“With this crime, the Zionist regime has set itself for a bitter and painful fate, and it will definitely receive it,” Khamenei said in a statement. (Gulf News)