The foreign ministries of several Arab nations came together today ahead of the meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and put out a joint statement condemning Israel’s attacks on Iran. On the ninth day of the conflict, drone strikes, and sirens were heard in several parts of Israel. The IDF also stated that two leaders belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds force were killed by Israeli strikes. Another nuclear centre in Iran was also targeted.
Here are the latest developments in the conflict between Israel and Iran as of Saturday:
1. Iranian media reported blasts in the city of Isfahan, where a major nuclear base is located. The reports stated that there was no leakage of hazardous material. Later, the Israeli Defense Forces claimed that around 50 IAF fighter jets were involved in dropping 150 munitions. They said that they caused “significant damage to their centrifuge production capabilities.”
2. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attended the Arab League meeting held ahead of the gathering of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. He said, "Attacking Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities, which are under the continuous supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is an unforgivable crime." The foreign ministers put out a joint statement that was published through the Jordanian foreign ministry. The statement condemned Israel’s actions and asked it to rejoin negotiation efforts. It also called the Security Council to make efforts.
3. The IDF claimed that its navy vessel targeted a facility that belonged to Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Forces in south Lebanon. The military said that the site was used to plan terror attacks against Israeli citizens.
4. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that his forces have killed Saeed Izadi, the head of the Palestinian Division in the IRGC Quds Force. The claim was that Izadi funded and armed Hamas ahead of the October 7 attacks and was killed after a “prolonged intelligence effort.” The IDF also took out Behnam Shahriyari, a senior IRGC Quds Force official, in an overnight strike. They said that he was targeted since 2009 and was involved in “transfers of weaponry from the Iranian regime to its proxies across the Middle East and worked for years to arm various terror organizations in order to directly advance the Iranian regime’s plan of destroying the State of Israel.” They also alleged that he funded terror organisations in Turkey and Lebanon.
5. Drone alert sirens were repeatedly heard in the northern West Bank, the Beit She’an Valley, and settlements near the Jordanian border. Sirens also sounded over southern Israel’s Arava region, where the IDF reported intercepting two drones. In Beit She’an, an Iranian drone made its first-ever reported impact since the conflict began, striking a house. No injuries were reported in the incident.
6. Iranian Police at the Qom province said that they have arrested 22 people who were “linked to Israeli spy services,” since June 13.
7. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a meeting at the OIC that Israel’s attack on Iran right before its nuclear talks with the US shows that it did not want diplomacy. Erdogan urged countries that have an influence over Israel to not listen to its “poison” and seek out a solution through dialogue.
ALSO READ | Israel will hit Fordow alone within 48-72 hours, but still hopes US will join it: Report
8. Citing the Health Ministry, Iran reports that 430 people were killed and 3,500 injured since the conflict began.
9. In an interview with SkyNews Arabia, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he has repeatedly told Israel that Iran had no intentions of obtaining a nuclear weapon.
10. A senior Iranian official rejected claims that the country was running out of missiles. The official claimed on CNN that Iran has changed its tactics and is now firing more advanced precision missiles.
