Hostilities between Israel and Iran escalated sharply on Thursday, with Israeli Defence Minister, Israel Katz, declaring that the continued existence of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, poses a direct obstacle to Israel’s national objectives.
This development followed a fresh wave of Iranian missile attacks that left at least 240 people injured after striking a major hospital in southern Israel and residential buildings in Tel Aviv.
Quoting Israel’s defence minister, the Associated Press reported: “The military has been instructed and knows that to achieve all of its goals, this man [Khamenei] absolutely should not continue to exist.”
In a further response, Israeli forces carried out fresh strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, targeting the Arak heavy water reactor—a key component of Iran’s sprawling nuclear programme.
However, Iranian state television reported that the facility had been evacuated before the strike, and assured the public that “there is no radiation danger whatsoever.”
(Iranian TV)
