Iran Missiles Strike Tel Aviv, 1 Killed, 63 Wounded; Israel’s Headquarters Targeted
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent, Worthy News
TEL AVIV/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Israeli forces backed by the United States were unable Saturday to intercept all missiles fired by Iran towards Israel, with barrages since Friday killing at least one and injuring 63 Israelis, officials confirmed.
There were reports that Israel’s military headquarters in Tel Aviv was among the targets hit by at least one or more of the over 150 missiles fired by Iran since Friday.
The “Kirya compound” — home to the Israeli military’s central command and the Ministry of Defense — is often referred to as Israel’s “Pentagon”.
Chief foreign correspondent for U.S. broadcaster Fox News, Trey Yingst, said an Iranian ballistic missile struck the area in Tel Aviv during the first wave of the Iranian response Saturday.
“The Iranians have responded with three waves of ballistic missiles. This is Israel’s version of the Pentagon, the Kirya, and the building on this compound was just hit,” he said, standing near the complex.
While broadcasting nearby, security forces pushed him and his crew away from the scene, Worthy News monitored.
“You can understand here it’s very tense at this specific location,” he added. “Because the Iranians are now targeting the defense establishment of Israel, and so I’m going to have my cameraman pan up here to this building just across the street.”
MISSILE HITTING LANDMARK
Footage taken shortly before his report showed at least one missile reaching the area around Marganit Tower, a landmark adjacent to the Israeli military headquarters.
“Our air defense systems have done an amazing job, but cannot stop every missile. Prays to those injured,” wrote an Israeli on the Jerusalem Post website.
The intensity of the Iranian attacks prompted Israeli military spokesman Effie Defrin to halt his press briefing prematurely.
While Defrin was taking questions at the Kirya headquarters in Tel Aviv, a loudspeaker announced that the base is going into “defensive standby”, forcing the official to halt his press conference.
The Kirya compound is viewed as the nerve center of Israel’s military operations. It houses the Israeli military’s General Staff and key command facilities, making it one of the country’s most sensitive and heavily guarded sites.
Tehran saw Friday’s strike by Iran on the compound as both a strategic and symbolic message to Israel.
While the extent of the damage was unclear Saturday, the reported attack on Israel’s top military hub, despite being surrounded by missile defence systems, fueled questions about Israel’s air defence systems.
DAMAGE AND INJURIES
Local reports said no casualties were reported inside the Kirya itself, though nearby areas in Tel Aviv sustained damage and injuries.
The strike of a missile penetrating deep into Israel’s military heartland underscored the escalating nature of the Israel-Iran confrontation. Sirens wailed across Israel, with blasts also heard in the Jerusalem area and other regions of the Jewish nation.
With tensions rising, the U.S. began moving warships closer to Israel, including two destroyers capable of defending against ballistic and cruise missile attacks, officials said.
They were already in the region and rerouting toward Israel as the U.S. shifted its military focus in the Middle East.
The attacks came after Israel struck numerous nuclear and military facilities in Iran, killing key Iranian leaders in an operation aimed at preventing the nation from developing nuclear weapons.
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander Hossein Salami and two other generals were among those killed, punching a hole in Tehran’s military leadership, officials said.
Iran said Israel’s strikes killed 78 people and wounded more than 320, including key leaders and nuclear scientists.
WAVES OF ATTACKS
Among the sites Israel attacked in several waves was later Friday the Fordow enrichment plant, meaning Israel struck the three core sites of Iran’s nuclear program, Israeli sources said.
In Iran, residents said they were hiding, fearing more attacks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran that the military actions, dubbed Operation Rising Lion, would last “as many days as it takes.”
He made clear he hopes a weakened Tehran would eventually enable Iranians to free themselves from “the regime” that has sought the destruction of Israel.
Israel planned 14 days of operations, a senior Israeli official said.
Long before Israel’s massive attacks, its secret service agents reportedly smuggled explosive drones and other guided weapons into Iran.
With that mission completed, an official said that Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz decided Monday that the attack would begin Friday local time.
TRUMP KNEW PLAN
U.S. President Donald J. Trump acknowledged Friday that he was aware of Israel’s plans to attack Iran: “Heads-up? It wasn’t a heads-up. It was, we know what’s going on.”
Earlier, he urged Iran’s leadership to make a deal “before there is nothing left.”
World markets reacted to the crisis with stocks down in Asia, Europe, and the United States.
With clashes ongoing, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for a halt to the strikes between Israel and Iran. “Enough escalation. Time to stop. Peace and diplomacy must prevail,” he wrote on the social media platform X.
Yet there were no indications of that happening Saturday.
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