An Israeli hospital in the town of Beersheba, one of the largest in southern Israel, was hit by an Iranian missile barrage yesterday. Israel has vowed intensified strikes as a result. Meanwhile, Iranian sources have claimed that a military center near the hospital was the intended target.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz visited the site Thursday, telling reporters that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei can “no longer be allowed to exist.” A translated X post by Katz states, “[T]hese are war crimes of the most serious kind — and Khamenei will be held accountable for his crimes.”
Katz also stated that forthcoming attacks from Israel will be more severe as a result: “[T]he Prime Minister and I have instructed the IDF to increase the intensity of attacks against strategic targets in Iran and against government targets in Tehran in order to remove threats to the State of Israel and undermine the ayatollahs’ regime.” (RELATED: Ending the Ayatollah’s Nuclear Threat: No Better Time Than Now)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, “We will exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran.” (RELATED: Sheltering in Underground from the Iranian Blitz)
Early on Thursday, Israel struck a nuclear facility in Arak, destroying a heavy water reactor. According to the Associated Press, this site could have been used to produce plutonium for an atomic weapon.
The International Atomic Energy Agency stated that the reaction was “not operational and contained no nuclear material, so no radiological effects.”
Iranians currently face widespread internet blackouts, according to the London-based watchdog group NetBlocks. The group stated, “Live network data show Iran is now in the midst of a near-total national internet blackout.” The mass internet outage began on Wednesday morning, according to the group.
While Iranian officials have said that the state-imposed blackout is to prevent cyberattacks, Iran has a history of blocking internet access to suppress dissidents and control information.
While the Middle East sees heightened tension, President Donald Trump continues his consideration of whether to involve U.S. military forces in the region. The president stated on Wednesday that Iran approached the U.S. for negotiations, even offering to send an envoy to the United States. Still, Trump signaled that it is “very late” for dealmaking.
Axios reported that Trump is seeking to find out whether the United States’ bunker buster ordnance will be sufficient to destroy the Fordow nuclear facility in Iran, but the president seems to think it will be; “[W]e are the only ones who have the capability to do it, but that doesn’t mean I am going to do it.”
The Israeli goal to “undermine the Ayatollah’s regime” has raised questions regarding how far the nation is willing to go in the conflict. Netanyahu has never ruled out regime change as a consequence of the war.
A U.S. official echoed this fact, telling reporters, “They might be more comfortable with regime change than we are … They may be more comfortable with destroying the country than we are.”
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