Today's Edition
TEHRAN (AFP)
Iranians and Israelis woke to smoke and rubble on Sunday after the arch-rivals expanded their attacks overnight, with Israel striking Tehran's defence ministry, and Iran unleashing a deadly barrage of missiles.
Air raid sirens and explosions were heard by in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv early Sunday, as Israel's military said millions of Israelis were "running for shelter" around the country.
Israel's emergency services said at least eight people, including children, were killed in the overnight strikes, and around 200 were wounded.
In Iran's capital, a series of blasts was heard at around 2:30am.
The third day of tit-for-tat attacks comes despite global calls for de-escalation, with Iran scrapping its latest nuclear talks with the United States, saying it could not negotiate while under fire from Israel.
This is the first time Israel and Iran have traded fire with such intensity, triggering fears of a prolonged conflict that could engulf the Middle East.
Israel's operation, which began early Friday, has targeted Iranian nuclear and military sites, killing dozens of people including top army commanders and atomic scientists, according to Tehran.
Iran's UN ambassador said 78 people were killed and 320 wounded in Friday's first wave of Israeli strikes. Iranian authorities have not provided an updated toll as of early Sunday.
The Shahran oil depot in Tehran was targeted in an Israeli attack, Iran said, but added the situation was under control. A fire had erupted after an Israeli attack on an oil refinery near the capital while Israeli strikes also targeted Iran's defence ministry building, causing minor damage, the semi-official Tasnim news agency said on Sunday.
In the first apparent attack to hit Iran's energy infrastructure, Tasnim news agency said Iran partially suspended production at South Pars, the world's biggest gas field, after an Israeli strike caused a fire there on Saturday. The South Pars field, offshore in Iran's southern Bushehr province, is the source of most of the gas produced in Iran.
Fears about potential disruption to the region's oil exports had already driven up oil prices 9% on Friday.
US President Donald Trump said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed in a phone call on Saturday that the conflict between Iran and Israel "should end".
Highlighting the global unease, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned against a "devastating war" with regional consequences, in a call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Ankara said.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Saturday that his country was deploying fighter jets and other "assets" to the Middle East "for contingency support", while he also urged de-escalation.
