Iran’s capital “will burn” if the country continues to rain down ballistic missiles on civilian centers in Israel, which have so far killed three civilians and wounded dozens, Israeli officials warned Saturday.
Following Israel’s targeted mission to wipe out specific nuclear sites and military leadership in Iran, Iran sent volleys of ballistic missiles into Israeli cities and suburbs. At least three civilians were killed in the retaliatory strikes, Israeli emergency services said.
Two were killed in a strike on Rishon Lezion, a city located just outside of Tel Aviv, and another was declared dead at the Rabin Medical Center after being wounded by a missile that hit eastern Tel Aviv.
The missile that hit Rishon Lezion made direct impact on a cluster of civilian homes. A BBC report posted Saturday shows devastated buildings and cars as well as citizens sifting through rubble to find their personal belongings.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei promised that Iran would “not allow [Israel] to escape safely from this great crime they committed,” after Israel launched its surprise attack on Friday, which killed at least 20 senior Iranian officials.
“Life will definitely become bitter for the Zionists,” Khamenei said.
Israeli strikes killed Khamenei’s second-in-command Major General Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of the armed forces; General Hossein Salami, commander in chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps; and more, including nuclear scientists and top officials from the Revolutionary Guard’s aerospace unit, according to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.
“If [Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front — Tehran will burn,” Katz said after an assessment meeting with the army’s chief of staff.
Israel has said that its ongoing campaign against Iran will last days. The targeted military operation is in response to the threat posed by Iran’s efforts to obtain a nuclear weapon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
“In recent months, Iran has taken steps that it has never taken before. Steps to weaponize this enriched uranium,” Netanyahu said. “And if not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time. It could be a year. It could be within a few months, less than a year. This is a clear and present danger to Israel’s very survival.”
In an address on Saturday, Netanyahu thanked President Donald Trump for America’s “clear support,” and highlighted Israel’s “effort to defend freedom.”
“By defending ourselves, we’re also defending others. We’re defending out Arab neighbors, our Arab friends in peace, we’re defending Europe, we’re helping defend also the United States, which helps us all the time in our defense,” he said. “Right now, the Iranian regime is bombing our civilian neighborhoods while we are targeting the terrorists.”
Iranian forces chant “Death to America,” have killed hundreds of American marines, tried to assassinate Trump twice, have bombed American embassies, and more, Netanyahu added. Israel now has widespread control of airspace over Tehran, he said.
“Our enemy is your enemy,” Netanyahu said.