Israel's Defense Minister issued a stark warning to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday, following a wave of Iranian missile strikes that wounded over 240 people and damaged a major hospital in southern Israel.
Missiles also struck residential buildings near Tel Aviv. While most injuries were minor, four people were reported in serious condition, according to Israel’s Health Ministry. More than 70 of the injured were at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, where an old surgery building took a direct hit.
In response, Israel targeted Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor—part of the country's nuclear infrastructure. The Israeli military said the strike aimed to disable components that could enable plutonium production.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant blamed Ayatollah Khamenei for the attack, stating, “The military has been instructed and understands that for us to meet our objectives, this man must no longer remain alive.” U.S. officials said President Donald Trump had previously vetoed an Israeli plan to assassinate Khamenei.
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Iran has so far launched over 400 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel in retaliation for Israeli strikes that began last Friday, targeting Iranian military sites and nuclear personnel. According to a U.S.-based Iranian rights group, at least 639 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran during the conflict. In Israel, at least 24 have died and hundreds have been wounded.
Despite Israel's advanced air defense system, a missile managed to strike Soroka Hospital shortly after sirens sounded. Hospital operations have since been limited to critical cases only. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the hospital strike, vowing retaliation: “We will exact a full price from the tyrants in Tehran.”
Meanwhile, Iran stated there was no radiation risk from the Israeli strike on the Arak facility, which had reportedly been evacuated before the attack. Iran also rejected renewed U.S. pressure to abandon its nuclear program, insisting it remains for peaceful purposes, despite enriching uranium to levels just below weapons-grade.
Israel has previously targeted other key sites, including facilities at Natanz, Tehran, and Isfahan, and has killed senior Iranian military figures and nuclear scientists.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to meet with European counterparts in Geneva on Friday to discuss the escalating crisis. The meeting will include officials from the UK, France, Germany, and the EU.
While former U.S. President Donald Trump has said he wants a broader outcome than just a ceasefire, he hasn’t ruled out deeper American involvement. Iran, however, has warned that such a move would bring severe consequences.
The Arak facility, located 250 kilometers southwest of Tehran, was previously modified under the 2015 nuclear deal to prevent plutonium production. Despite this, Israeli officials say the site could still pose a threat and targeted it to prevent any future weapons development.
The UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which last visited Arak in May, has called on Israel to avoid targeting nuclear sites. However, due to Iranian restrictions on inspections, the IAEA has acknowledged gaps in its oversight of Iran’s heavy water production.