Israel announced Saturday it had killed Saeed Izadi, a senior Iranian commander, as the two countries exchanged intensified attacks and diplomatic efforts to halt the conflict faltered.
Izadi, who led the Palestine Corps of Iran’s Quds Force, was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting an apartment in the city of Qom, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed. Katz hailed the killing as a major achievement for Israeli intelligence and said Izadi had supported Hamas in its deadly October 7, 2023, assault on Israel, which triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.
Iranian authorities confirmed attacks on the western city of Khorramabad, saying five Revolutionary Guards members were killed, though they did not name Izadi. Iranian media also reported that a 16-year-old was killed in the Qom strike, and two others were injured.
As tensions soared, Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on Iranian missile infrastructure, while Iran’s Fars news agency reported that Israel had targeted the Isfahan nuclear site. Officials said no hazardous material was leaked.
Missile sirens wailed across central Israel and the occupied West Bank on Saturday, with explosions heard over Tel Aviv as Israeli air defences intercepted incoming projectiles. No Israeli casualties were reported in that barrage.
Israel began its military campaign against Iran on June 13, claiming Tehran was on the brink of developing nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, Israeli strikes in Iran have killed 639 people, including senior military officials and nuclear scientists.
Iran says Israeli airstrikes have also struck hospitals, killing at least two medical workers and a child, and targeting ambulances.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said negotiations with the U.S. were impossible while Israel continued its assaults. Nonetheless, he travelled to Geneva for talks with European officials, though no meaningful progress was reported.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he believed Iran could obtain a nuclear weapon within weeks or months and criticised his intelligence chief, Tulsi Gabbard, for suggesting otherwise. Trump said he was still weighing whether the U.S. would join the conflict, saying he would decide within two weeks.
In the U.N. Security Council, Israel vowed not to stop its attacks until Iran’s nuclear threat was dismantled. Iran, meanwhile, urged international intervention and warned of possible U.S. involvement in the war.
Russia and China called for immediate de-escalation, but European-led peace efforts in Geneva appeared stalled. Iran’s envoy stated they might be open to uranium enrichment limits, but not a complete halt, especially while under Israeli attack.
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