Israel And Iran Launch Strikes A Week Into The War As New Diplomatic Effort Takes Shape

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel and Iran exchanged strikes a week into their warfare Friday arsenic President Donald Trump weighed U.S. subject engagement and new negotiated efforts appeared to beryllium underway.

Trump has been weighing whether to onslaught Iran by striking its well-defended Fordo uranium enrichment facility, which is buried nether a upland and wide considered to beryllium retired of scope of each but America’s “bunker-buster” bombs. He said he’ll determine within 2 weeks whether nan U.S. subject will get straight progressive successful nan warfare fixed nan “substantial chance” for renewed negotiations complete Tehran’s atomic program.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi appeared to beryllium en way to Geneva for meetings pinch nan European Union’s apical diplomat and counterparts from nan United Kingdom, France and Germany. A level pinch his accustomed telephone motion took disconnected from nan Turkish metropolis of Van, adjacent nan Iranian border, flight-tracking information from FlightRadar24 showed. Iran typically acknowledges his departure hours afterward.

Britain’s overseas caput said he met astatine nan White House pinch U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and envoy Steve Witkoff to talk nan imaginable for a woody that could cool nan conflict.

Before his flight, Araghchi said connected Iranian authorities tv that his state was “not seeking negotiations pinch anyone” arsenic agelong arsenic Israel’s attacks continued, underscoring nan negotiated challenges ahead. He besides accused nan U.S. of collaborating pinch Israel, noting that Trump regularly utilized “we” successful societal media posts and interviews talking astir nan attacks connected Iran.

“It is nan Americans who want talks,” he said successful comments Thursday that were broadcast Friday. “They’ve sent messages respective times — very superior ones — but we made it explicitly clear to them that arsenic agelong arsenic this aggression and penetration continue, location is perfectly nary room for talk aliases diplomacy. We are engaged successful morganatic self-defense, and this defense will not extremity nether immoderate circumstances.”

He added that he expected nan Switzerland talks to attraction only connected Iran’s atomic program, and that Iran’s rocket capabilities were “for defending nan country” and not up for discussion.

Israel Says Air Campaign Will Target More Sites

Israel said it conducted airstrikes into Friday greeting successful Iran pinch much than 60 craft hitting what it said were business sites to manufacture missiles. It did not elaborate connected nan locations. It besides said it deed nan office of Iran’s Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research, known by its acronym successful Farsi, SPND. The U.S. successful nan past has linked that agency to alleged Iranian investigation and testing tied to nan imaginable improvement of atomic explosive devices.

It besides carried retired airstrikes targeting nan areas astir Kermanshah and Tabriz successful occidental Iran, wherever nan subject said 25 combatant jets struck “missile retention and motorboat infrastructure components” Friday morning. There had been reports of anti-aircraft occurrence successful nan areas.

Iran did not instantly admit nan losses, and has not discussed nan harm done truthful acold to its subject successful nan weeklong war.

“We are strengthening our aerial power successful nan region and advancing our aerial offensive,” Israeli subject spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin told reporters.

“We person much sites to onslaught successful Tehran, occidental Iran and different places.”

Israeli airstrikes besides reached into nan metropolis of Rasht connected nan Caspian Sea early Friday, Iranian media reported. The Israeli subject had warned nan nationalist to fly nan area astir Rasht’s Industrial City, southwest of nan city’s downtown. But pinch Iran’s net unopen disconnected to nan extracurricular world, it’s unclear conscionable really galore group could spot nan message.

Damage From Missiles In Southern Israel

In Israel, nan paramedic work Magen David Adom said Iranian missiles struck a residential area successful confederate Israel causing harm to buildings, including 1 six-story building. They person provided aesculapian curen to 5 group pinch insignificant injuries specified arsenic bruises, fume inhalation, and anxiety, it said.

This comes a time aft astatine slightest 80 patients and aesculapian workers were wounded successful a onslaught connected nan Soroka Medical Center successful nan confederate metropolis of Beersheba.

On Thursday, Israel’s defense curate threatened Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei aft nan Iranian rocket collapsed into nan hospital. Israel’s subject “has been instructed and knows that successful bid to execute each of its goals, this man perfectly should not proceed to exist,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he trusted that Trump would “do what’s champion for America.” Speaking from nan rubble and shattered solid astir nan hospital, he added: “I tin show you that they’re already helping a lot.”

The warfare betwixt Israel and Iran erupted June 13, pinch Israeli airstrikes targeting atomic and subject sites, top generals and atomic scientists. At slightest 657 people, including 263 civilians, person been killed successful Iran and much than 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian quality authorities group.

Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1,000 drones astatine Israel, according to Israeli service estimates. Most person been changeable down by Israel’s multitiered aerial defenses, but astatine slightest 24 group successful Israel person been killed and hundreds wounded.

Iran has agelong maintained its atomic programme is for serene purposes. But it is nan only non-nuclear-weapon authorities to enrich uranium up to 60%, a short, method measurement distant from weapons-grade levels of 90%.

Israel is wide believed to beryllium nan only Middle Eastern state pinch a atomic weapons programme but has ne'er acknowledged it.

The Israeli aerial run has targeted Iran’s enrichment tract astatine Natanz, centrifuge workshops astir Tehran, a atomic tract successful Isfahan and what nan service assesses to beryllium astir of Iran’s ballistic rocket launchers. The demolition of those launchers has contributed to nan dependable diminution successful Iranian attacks since nan commencement of nan conflict.

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Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writer David Rising successful Dubai, United Arab Emirates contributed to this report.