Israel on Thursday revealed its latest strikes targeted “key sites” tied to Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities.
The facilities struck included an inactive nuclear reactor in the city of Arak, a weapons development site near Natanz and ballistic missile and air defense production facilities, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
“These facilities fuel Iran’s drive for nuclear weapons and its attacks on Israeli civilians,” the Israeli military wrote in a post on social platform X. “The IDF will continue operating to eliminate threats and defend the State of Israel.”
The attack comes as Israel and Iran enter their seventh day of tit-for-tat strikes in the wake of the IDF’s initial blow to Tehran’s nuclear capabilities and as President Trump and his administration weigh whether the U.S. should intercede.
Tension between Israel and Iran has been building, as the latter is a supporter of Palestinian militant group Hamas. The IDF and Hamas have been fighting in the Gaza Strip since October 2023.
On Wednesday, Trump avoided a question about whether he was leaning toward the U.S. launching a strike on Iran — a proposal that has lawmakers on both sides of the aisle concerned.
“You don’t seriously think I’m going to answer that question. Will you strike the Iranian nuclear component?” the president said.
“I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do. I can tell you this, that Iran’s got a lot of trouble,” he added, referencing the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks that have been stalled. “And they want to negotiate. And I say why didn’t you negotiate with me before all this death and destruction.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday that the U.S. would face “irreparable damage” if the U.S. were to step into the fight and approve strikes on his country.
“It isn’t wise to tell the Iranian nation to surrender,” Khamenei wrote on X. “What should the Iranian nation surrender to? We will never surrender in response to the attacks of anyone.”
“This is the logic of the Iranian nation. This is the spirit of the Iranian nation,” he added.
Thursday’s strike also comes a day after the IDF said it destroyed the headquarters for Iran’s domestic policing arm. On the other side, missiles launched from Iran hit a hospital in southern Israel and injured more than 200 people.
