Israel-Iran conflict: latest developments

Israel-Iran conflict: latest developments

A poster of slain Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami, killed by Israel, at a Tehran square

Israel and Iran traded deadly fire for a fourth day on Monday in their most intense confrontation in history, fuelling fears of a drawn-out conflict that could engulf the Middle East.

The longtime foes have fought a prolonged shadow war through proxies and covert operations, with Israel battling several Iran-backed groups in the region, including Hamas in the Gaza Strip since October 2023.

Here are the latest developments:

- Mounting casualties -

In a major campaign launched early Friday, Israeli fighter jets and drones have struck nuclear and military sites in Iran, also hitting residential areas and fuel depots.

Iran's health ministry says at least 224 people have been killed and more than 1,200 wounded.

Tehran has responded with barrages of missiles and drones that hit Israeli cities and towns, killing at least 24 people and wounding 592 others, according to the prime minister's office.

Israel has also killed many top military commanders and atomic scientists in Iran as part of an offensive that officials say seeks to end nuclear and missile threats from the Islamic republic.

- Iran state TV hit -

AFP journalists heard massive blasts across Tehran after Israel issued an evacuation order for the northern District 3, home to state broadcaster IRIB which was hit in an Israeli strike.

IRIB resumed its live broadcast that was momentarily cut due to the attack.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that "the propaganda and incitement broadcasting authority of the Iranian regime was attacked", threatening to strike "everywhere" against "the Iranian dictator".

- Israel claims 'air superiority' -

The Israeli military said that after a wave of strikes on Monday, its forces had destroyed one third of Iran's surface-to-surface missile launchers.

According to military spokesman Effie Defrin, "we have now achieved full air superiority over Tehran".

That followed a wave of intense air raids across the country, from the western border with Iraq to the capital Tehran and as far east as Mashhad, where the airport was hit.

Reza Sayyad, spokesman for the Iranian armed forces, said their targets in Israel included "sensitive and important" security sites as well as "the residences of military commanders and scientists".

Among the sites hit in Israel on Sunday was a major oil refinery in the coastal city of Haifa, an Israeli official said after a military censorship gag order was lifted.

Residential areas in both countries have suffered, with Israel accusing Iran of deliberately targeting civilians.

- Diplomacy -

The conflict has rapidly escalated despite calls from world leaders to halt the attacks.

China urged Iran and Israel to "immediately" take steps to reduce tensions and "prevent the region from falling into greater turmoil".

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Iranian counterpart in a phone call on Monday that Ankara was ready to play a "facilitating role" to end the conflict.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he believed "there's a consensus for de-escalation" among Group of Seven leaders, who are meeting in Canada.

US President Donald Trump told reporters at the G7 summit that "Iran is not winning this war, and they should talk... immediately, before it's too late".

Nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington that were set to take place on Sunday had been called off.

- Nuclear sites -

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the Israeli offensive aims to thwart the "existential" threats posed by Iran's nuclear and missile programmes.

The fierce bombing campaign began as Tehran and Washington were engaged in nuclear talks -- which have since been cancelled -- and after warnings from the UN nuclear watchdog over Iran's atomic activities.

Rafael Grossi, head of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said on Monday there was "no indication of a physical attack" on an underground section of Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment facility, and that radiation levels outside the plant were "at normal levels".

The IAEA previously said that a key, above-ground component of Iran's Natanz nuclear site was destroyed.

Grossi told an extraordinary board meeting of the UN agency that "nuclear safety is being compromised" by the conflict.

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Originally published as Israel-Iran conflict: latest developments