430 killed in Iran in Israeli attacks as UN warns of refugee crisis
Iran targets Ben Gurion Airport, Israeli military centres in fresh strikes
Monitoring Desk
TEHRAN/TEL AVIV: The United Nations said on Saturday the Iran-Israel war must not trigger another refugee crisis in the Middle East. UNHCR reported population movements from Tehran and other regions, with some crossing borders.
“This region has already endured more than its share of war, loss and displacement,” said Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
The Israeli-initiated conflict with Iran continued to escalate early Saturday, with both sides exchanging fresh strikes, even as diplomatic efforts in Geneva stalled with no breakthrough on a ceasefire.
At least 430 people were killed and 3,500 were wounded in Iran since the start of the Israeli-Iranian conflict on June 13, Iranian state-run Nour News reported on Saturday, citing the country’s health ministry. Israel has on the other hand reported 24 deaths with more than 800 others injured.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency, a US-based rights organisation that tracks Iran, gave a higher death toll than Tehran, saying Israeli attacks have killed 639 people there. Those killed in Iran include the military’s top echelon and nuclear scientists.
An Iranian missile triggered a fire in a residential building in central Israel, prompting evacuations and emergency response, though no casualties were reported.
The fire, believed to be caused by debris from an intercepted missile, came amid ongoing aerial exchanges. Sirens rang out across central and southern Israel as five ballistic missiles were fired from Iran, according to Israeli officials, with no immediate damage or injuries reported aside from the Holon fire.
Iran’s missile strikes were in retaliation to Israeli air assaults targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Sirens were heard across southern Israel as the emergency service reported that five ballistic missiles had been fired. No immediate damage or casualties were reported from the missile launches.
Fighter jets struck several Iranian missile systems and radar installations in the areas of Isfahan and Tehran, which were intended to target IDF aircraft and disrupt their operations.
The latest missile attack on Israel, which ignited a fire in Holon near Tel Aviv, is part of Iran’s ongoing retaliation. Interceptions over Tel Aviv were visible in the skies, with explosions reverberating across the city as Israel’s air defence systems engaged the incoming threats.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said it launched a fresh wave of missile and drone strikes early Saturday, targeting Ben Gurion Airport and key Israeli military sites as part of the 18th phase of “Operation True Promise 3.”
Another Iranian drone struck a residential building in northern Israel, rescue services said. The attack came amid a wave of drone and missile launches.
In its 15th statement since hostilities escalated, the IRGC claimed successful hits on logistics centres and airport infrastructure using Shahed-136 drones and precision-guided missiles.
