Middle East Escalation Ticker +++ 22:21 Smotrich: Israeli offensive has not reached halfway point
Israeli military operations continue unabated, midway through their progression.
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp E-Mail Print Copy Link US President Donald Trump is not urging Israel to halt its military campaign against Iran, according to Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. "Trump is not telling us to stop," says Smotrich. He adds that Israel has not yet reached the halfway point of its offensive campaign. Trump had previously encouraged Tehran to engage in negotiations with Israel.
Iran issues an evacuation warning to two Israeli broadcasters, impacting the government-affiliated Channel 14 and popular Channel 12. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards news agency Tasnim reported this move after an afternoon Israeli call for evacuation of a Tehran district with about 300,000 residents. Shortly afterward, the main building of the broadcaster in the area was hit. Reports indicate fatalities and injuries, but the state-controlled Iranian Broadcasting (IRIB) did not provide further details. Israel's army said the air strike targeted a "communications center of the Iranian regime."
The Iranian state television announces the beginning of a new wave of rocket attacks on Israel. Earlier in the day, Iranian state media reported that their military was preparing the "largest and most intense rocket attack" on Israel to date.
Important Israeli military and intelligence centers are on the Iranian list of targets for strategic air strikes on Israel, according to a media report. This includes the Ramat David air force base near Haifa, as stated by the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA). The attack, striking within the framework of Iranian "legitimate defense", is forecasted in the coming hours. Iranian state media previously reported their preparation for the "largest and most intense rocket attack" on Israel to date.
An Israeli state broadcaster reports casualties and injuries after an attack on the Iranian state broadcaster in Tehran. ISNA points out that people have been killed and injured, but the state-controlled IRIB has not provided additional details.
Iran accuses the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of failing to prevent Israeli attacks on its nuclear program. Despite warnings from Tehran, the IAEA and its director, Rafael Grossi, have not taken effective preventive measures, said Iranian ambassador Resa Nadjafi during a special session of the IAEA Board of Governors. He did not mention that Grossi had publicly warned against military strikes on nuclear facilities just a few days prior to the Israeli offensive.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems to not rule out a targeted assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "Such an action won't escalate conflict, it'll end it," he states in a US broadcaster ABC interview when asked if he shares US government concerns about such a move causing the conflict to spiral out of control. Israel's agents have been terrorizing the Middle East through sabotage acts and terrorism for half a century, he contends. In another ABC interview part, when directly asked if Israel is planning to assassinate Khamenei, Netanyahu responds, "We do what we must. I won't elaborate on the details." Recent reports indicate Trump may have intervened against Israeli plans to assassinate Iran's leader.
In 1979, Iran's mullahs seized power, and ten years later, Ali Khamenei became the country's spiritual leader—a position he still holds today. The radical regime views Israel, which was friendly with Iran before mullahs' rule, as its mortal enemy.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghtchi believes the end the war between his country and Israel can be achieved with a call from US President Donald Trump. He states in a special X platform message that "a call from Washington could silence someone like Netanyahu," paving the way for a return to diplomacy. Araghtchi believes the Israeli attack on Iran is meant to derail a potential atomic agreement between Iran and the US, "which we were on the best path to achieve." Recent talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran's controversial nuclear program have not seen progress in recent weeks, and a planned negotiating round in Oman planned for Sunday was canceled after the Israeli attacks.
Russia is in contact with Israel and Iran while talks are being held with the US on this topic as well. Meanwhile, Israel is urged to exercise restraint, with Iran holding the right to defend itself.
The Israeli Army predicts a new wave of rocket attacks from Iran on Israel's north. In several northern Israel locations, alarms sound, signaling rockets "fired from Iran at the State of Israel." Residents of the affected areas are instructed to seek shelter. Israel initiated a major attack against Iran overnight, bombing nuclear facilities and military installations, resulting in numerous high-ranking military personnel and civilian casualties. Iran responds with counter-attacks, including rockets and drones, causing further civilian losses.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz rejects Putin's proposal for Russia to play a mediator role in the Israel-Iran conflict during the Canadian G7 summit.
Numerous Iranian civil society representatives, including Nobel laureates and renowned filmmakers, call for an end to the military conflict between Iran and Israel and for Iran to cease uranium enrichment. They argue that the conflict threatens the Iranian population and humanity.
US President Donald Trump pressures Iran to negotiate with Israel over its nuclear program to halt the ongoing conflict. "They should talk, and they should talk now, before it's too late," Trump states to reporters during his Canadian visit.
The Israeli Army reports that the headquarters of the state-run Iranian television and radio broadcaster IRIB in Tehran was hit during a live broadcast. The host abruptly left the studio during the attack, but the broadcaster resumed its broadcast after a brief interruption without disclosing casualty or damage details.
Germany, the United Kingdom, and France aim to advance and expedite talks with Iran regarding its nuclear program. They pledge to reiterate their clear stance that only through Iran demonstrating a full commitment to renouncing military applications of nuclear technology can a contractual agreement be reached and further military conflicts prevented.
Israel announces the "disappearance" of the state-owned Iranian television and radio broadcaster IRIB. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz explains that the mouthpiece of Iranian propaganda and incitement is nearing collapse.
Political scientist Gerhard Mangott believes that while Iran supports Russia with missiles and drones in the war against Ukraine, making it Putin's key ally in the Middle East, an Israeli war objective may now also align with Moscow's interests. However, other objectives would harm the Kremlin.
Iran appears ready to resume talks on its nuclear program. Unofficial messages have been exchanged between Iran, Israel, and the US, indicating Iran's willingness to return to negotiations as long as the US does not take part in the attacks. Tehran has also reportedly sent messages to Israel suggesting both sides can reduce violence.
German Green Party leader Ines Schwerdtner criticizes Israel's violation of international law in attacking Iran. She expresses concern over an escalation spiral whose consequences are unpredictable and refers to Netanyahu's actions as a diversion from the suffering of the population in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli air strikes hit a hospital in western Iran, according to Iranian media reports. No official statements have been made about casualties or damages.
Foreign Office Urges Germans in Israel, Iran, and related countries to register with Deutschlandliste, enabling German diplomatic missions to quickly contact them in case of an emergency.
Iran is reportedly preparing to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, with a parliamentary bill in progress. The Iranian government, however, maintains its commitment to the Antiproliferation Treaty and disavows any ambitions to acquire nuclear weapons.
Large-scale evacuations of Tehran residents take place due to Israeli airstrikes, with cars gridlocked on highways, gas stations running low, and many Iranians leaving for the east or the Caspian Sea.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has not reported any additional damage to Iranian nuclear facilities following Israeli attacks. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has confirmed that the UN agency will continue inspections as soon as security allows. He notes that the facilities remain subject to monitoring.
Israel self-reports that it has destroyed a third of Iran's ground-to-ground missile launchers. Over fifty fighter jets and aircraft were involved in the operation, resulting in the destruction of 120 Iranian launchers, along with missile depots and facilities for missile production.
Russia temporarily closes its Tehran consulate and encourages its citizens to leave the country as the situation continues to deteriorate.
Iranian President Massoud Peseschkian reiterates that Iran has no intention of developing nuclear weapons while insisting on its right to nuclear energy and research, citing religious decrees against weapons of mass destruction by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's spiritual leader.
The Israeli military describes several command centers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as targets in Tehran. However, further details are scarce.
Roderich Kiesewetter, a CDU foreign policy expert, supports Israel's efforts to weaken Iran by limiting its ballistic and nuclear capabilities, arguing that such actions also benefit Germany. He insists that Israel's strikes target military targets and not civilian infrastructure.
Several injuries have been reported in Israel after Iranian air strikes. Israel Emergency services Magen David Adom reports at least three fatalities, with over two dozen injured. Iran has confirmed 224 deaths since the start of hostilities on Friday.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announces that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised additional humanitarian aid for Gaza following her request.
After a day of ongoing conflict, ongoing sheltering is advised across Israel, with search and rescue teams deployed in various locations. Explosions have been heard in Tel Aviv's center. Ambulance sirens have also been active.
Israel, reportedly receiving support from the United States, is in the process of preparing another wave of attacks on Iran. Iranian military facilities are one of the potential target areas.
The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas has organized a crisis meeting among foreign ministers in response to the escalating Middle East war. Kallas' objective is to coordinate diplomatic efforts with Israel and Iran while discussing possible next steps.
- The Commission has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation, given the increasing political tensions and war-and-conflicts in the Middle East.
- As the Middle East escalation continues, news on general-news platforms highlight the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, as well as the potential impact on workers in specific industries, such as media and emergency services, due to the increased risks related to ionizing radiation.
