FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Iranian missile attacks on Israel and Israeli retaliation against military targets in Iran heighten tensions as the US tries to keep diplomacy alive with Tehran...
A dangerous new escalation in the Middle East was recorded during the night of June 7, after Iran launched a series of missile attacks on Israel, calling into question any prospects for reducing tensions in the region.
In response, Israel carried out airstrikes on military targets in western and central Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly initially accepted US President Donald Trump's request to avoid an immediate response, but later authorized the military operation.
President Trump had asked Netanyahu to give diplomacy more time, saying negotiations between the United States and Iran were close to an agreement. Washington expressed concern that a military escalation could jeopardize the successful conclusion of talks with Tehran.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that the Israeli Air Force struck military targets in western and central Iran, just hours after Iran launched missiles towards northern Israel.
Local Iranian media reported explosions in Tehran, Tabriz and Isfahan. The attacks were also confirmed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which, according to the state news agency IRNA, stated that Israel had struck targets in Iranian territory with air-launched ballistic missiles.
According to IRNA, two explosions were heard in western Tehran at 04:43 and 04:45 local time. A spokesman for the Iranian capital's fire department said civilian areas were not targeted in the attacks, adding that authorities remain on alert.
Night of high tension
Earlier, Donald Trump had announced that he intended to ask Benjamin Netanyahu not to take military revenge after the Iranian missile attacks.
According to the American portal Axios, the American president asked the Israeli prime minister to allow diplomatic efforts to continue for a few more days, arguing that negotiations with Iran are moving closer to an agreement.
Axios' reporting notes that Netanyahu tried to convince Trump to accept an Israeli strike on Tehran, but ultimately agreed to a temporary postponement of any military action.
However, just a few hours later, the Israeli military announced that it had struck military targets in western and central Iran following Iranian missile attacks on Israeli territory.
According to the same source, Trump believes that the possibility of a deal with Tehran is closer than ever and does not want a new military escalation to undermine the diplomatic process.
"The president believes we are very close to a deal and there is no reason to jeopardize that effort at this time," Axios quoted a US official as saying.
Lini një Përgjigje