
Wounded Iran immediately lashes out at Israel launching volleys of ballistic missiles causing ‘large-scale destruction'
IRAN has launched fresh waves of missiles into Israel just hours after the US blitzed its key nuclear sites, injuring at least 23 people.
Tehran, reeling from the unprecedented airstrikes, has warned of "everlasting consequences" after the US got involved.
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A house in Tel Aviv reduced to rubble
Credit: Reuters
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An Iranian missile sailing towards Israel
Credit: Getty
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A row of houses and an apartment block were heavily damaged by the ballistic missiles
Credit: AFP
Two waves of around 20 and 10 missiles were fired at targets across Israel, according to the IDF.
The weapons penetrated air defences and caused damage in four civilian locations, including Tel Aviv.
Thirteen people were wounded in the Tel Aviv area, six in Nes Tziona, three in Haifa, and one on a highway near Beer Yaakov.
The person injured on the road was in "moderate" condition, whilst the other victims were all "lightly" wounded.
Sirens failed to sound in Haifa, and the IDF said it was investigating a possible malfunction with the "interceptor".
Iranian state media claimed that a Khyber missile was deployed for the first time in the conflict.
Announcing the fresh attack, the Mehr news agency said: The twentieth wave of large-scale missile-drone operations by the Islamic Republic of Iran's armed forces was carried out against the military targets of the Zionist regime."
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Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Trump says he is open to regime change in Iran
President Donald Trump has called into question the future of Iran's ruling theocracy, seemingly contradicting his administration's earlier calls to resume negotiations and avoid an escalation in fighting. 'It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change???' Mr Trump posted on social media. 'MIGA!!!' The posting on Truth Social marked something of a reversal from defence secretary Pete Hegseth's Sunday morning news conference that detailed the aerial bombing on three of the country's nuclear sites. 'This mission was not and has not been about regime change,' Mr Hegseth said. "The damage to the Nuclear sites in Iran is said to be 'monumental.' The hits were hard and accurate. Great skill was shown by our military. Thank you!" –President Donald J. Trump — The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 22, 2025 Secretary of state Marco Rubio warned on Fox News that any retaliation against the US or a rush toward building a nuclear weapon would 'put the regime at risk'. Mr Trump's warning to Iran's leadership comes as the US has demanded that Iran not respond to the bombardment of the heart of a nuclear programme it spent decades developing. The Trump administration has made a series of intimidating statements even as it has simultaneously called to restart negotiations, making it hard to get a complete read on whether the president is simply taunting an adversary or using inflammatory words that could further widen the war between Israel and Iran that began earlier this month. Up until the president's post on Sunday afternoon, the coordinated messaging by Mr Trump's vice president, Pentagon chief, top military adviser and secretary of state suggested a confidence that any fallout would be manageable and that Iran's lack of military capabilities would ultimately force it back to the bargaining table. Mr Hegseth had said that America 'does not seek war' with Iran, while Vice President JD Vance said the strikes have given Tehran the possibility of returning to negotiate with Washington. But the unfolding situation is not entirely under Washington's control, as Tehran has a series of levers to respond to the aerial bombings, which could intensify the conflict in the Middle East with possible global repercussions. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon on Sunday (Alex Brandon/AP) Iran can block oil being shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, attack US bases in the region, engage in cyber attacks or double down on a nuclear programme might seem like more of a necessity after the US strike. Mr Trump, who had addressed the nation from the White House on Saturday night, returned to social media on Sunday to lambast Republican Congress member Thomas Massie, who had objected to the president taking military action without specific congressional approval. 'We had a spectacular military success yesterday, taking the 'bomb' right out of their hands (and they would use it if they could!)' Mr Trump said as part of the post on Truth Social. At their joint Pentagon briefing, Mr Hegseth and Air Force General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said 'Operation Midnight Hammer' involved decoys and deception, and met with no Iranian resistance. General Caine indicated that the goal of the operation — destroying nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan — had been achieved. 'Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,' he said. An electronic billboard beams an image of president Donald Trump alongside the message 'Thank you, Mr. President' referring to the US involvement in the war between Israel and Iran (Bernat Armangue/AP) While US officials urged caution and stressed that only nuclear sites were targeted by Washington, Iran criticised the actions as a violation of its sovereignty and international law. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Washington was 'fully responsible' for whatever actions Tehran may take in response. 'They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities,' he said at a news conference in Turkey. 'I don't know how much room is left for diplomacy.' China and Russia, where Araghchi was heading for talks with President Vladimir Putin, condemned the US military action. The attacks were 'a gross violation of international law,' said Russia's Foreign Ministry, which also advocated 'returning the situation to a political and diplomatic course.' A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement warned about the risk of the conflict spreading to 'a global level'. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom was moving military equipment into the area to protect its interests, people and allies. His office said he talked on Sunday with Mr Trump about the need for Tehran to resume negotiations, but Mr Trump would have posted his remarks about regime change after their conversation. The leaders of Italy, Canada, Germany and France agreed on the need for 'a rapid resumption of negotiations.' France's Emmanuel Macron held talks with the Saudi Crown Prince and the Sultan of Oman.


RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
UN Security Council meets amid push for a ceasefire
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Irish Daily Star
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Star
Trump threatens regime change in Iran with chilling ‘MIGA' social post following bombings
Donald Trump chillingly alluded to a "regime change" in Iran as he suggested that one would "MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN." In a Truth Social post on Sunday afternoon, the U.S. president wrote, "It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!" The post comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at a plan to assassinate Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in several interviews last week following his strikes on Iran . Read More Related Articles Donald Trump dementia fears spike after 'symptom' spotted in President's suit Read More Related Articles JD Vance faces huge backlash for bringing 'uncontrollable kids' to Trump parade Experts, however, worry that such an assassination could create even more unrest in a region deeply afflicted by it. Khamenei fears that, too, and has already made provisions for the event of his assassination. Wary of such a possibility, Khamenei now only speaks to his commanders through a trusted aide and has suspended electronic communications in order to make it more difficult to find him, according to three Iranian officials familiar with his emergency war plans, who spoke to The New York Times. He's now holed up in a bunker, and he's reportedly picked an array of potential replacements down his chain of command in the event that more of his lieutenants are killed. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatened "irreparable damage" to America (Image: via Getty Images) Khamenei has already named three senior clerics as candidates to succeed him, too, the officials said, in the event that he's assassinated. It's been described as a remarkable move and one that illustrates just how precarious his situation is — this could be the end of his three decades of rule. The entire point of Khamenei's work is to preserve the Islamic Republic, which is in danger of collapsing amid the airstrikes and surprise attacks launched by Israel — and now, the U.S., too — over the past couple of weeks. The strikes are the biggest assault on Iran since its war with Iraq back in the 1980s, and the effect has been detrimental to the nation's capital, Tehran. The Israeli attacks have reportedly been much more intense and have caused more damage in Tehran than Saddam Hussein did during his entire eight-year war against the country. Iran overcame the initial shock from the attacks, however, and has been able to reorganize enough to launch daily counterstrikes against Israel, striking a hospital, the Haifa oil refinery and religious buildings and homes. But when the U.S. entered the war, things changed. Trump announced late Saturday that the U.S. had deployed B-2 bomber jets to strike three of Iran's nuclear sites — including its uranium-enrichment facility deep underground at Fordow. "Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's No. 1 state sponsor of terror," Trump said in an address to the nation on Saturday night.