Israel Briefs 30 Ambassadors on Iran’s Missile Attack Damages

Spread love

Israeli Foreign Minister Condemns Iran’s Missile Attacks, Vows to Continue Operation Rising Lion

By TRH News Desk

NEW DELHI, June 18, 2025 –Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar delivered a resolute statement today at the site of a devastating Iranian missile strike in Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv, accusing the Iranian regime of deliberately targeting civilian population centers. Speaking to over 30 foreign ambassadors and dozens of media outlets, Sa’ar reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to its military campaign, dubbed ‘Operation Rising Lion,’ aimed at neutralizing Iran’s nuclear and military threats.

“The Iranian regime deliberately targets population centers and murders civilians. They are making a mistake,” Sa’ar declared at the briefing, attended by ambassadors from Italy, Poland, India, Canada, the Czech Republic, Spain, Austria, Norway, Sweden, and other nations. “They do not understand that the Israeli people are strong and massively support ‘Operation Rising Lion’! I have no doubt that we will achieve our objectives in this operation in order to remove the existential threat. We are determined to continue until we reach our objectives. There are no negotiations.”

The briefing took place in Bat Yam, where an Iranian missile strike on June 15 caused significant destruction. According to Mayor Tzvika Brot, a high-rise building collapsed, resulting in nine civilian deaths, including three children aged 8, 10, and 18, and five Ukrainian nationals. The attack also damaged 61 buildings and injured approximately 200 people, with several in serious condition.

Iran’s missile barrage, part of a series of retaliatory strikes following Israel’s attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities and military targets, has inflicted widespread damage across Israel. Middle East-based media outlet Al Jazeera reported that Iranian missiles struck residential areas in Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Petah Tikva, with a residential building in Petah Tikva suffering severe structural damage, including charred concrete walls and shattered windows. The outlet noted that emergency services evacuated residents from multiple damaged sites, with at least 29 people injured in central Israel alone.

Israel on Wednesday said that it is carrying out strikes in Tehran against military targets. Iran also has accused Israel of targeting civilian areas. In a viral video, an Israeli strike on Iran’s television had shown a woman anchor rushing for safety and resuming broadcast soon after.

The Israeli tax authority reported losses exceeding 1 billion shekels (approximately $270 million USD) due to the missile strikes, with 14,583 damage claims filed across the country. In Haifa, a northern port city, Iranian missiles wounded at least 30 people and caused significant damage to infrastructure, including a reported fire near the Haifa oil refinery, according to Reuters.

Lisa Daftari, an Iran expert and foreign desk editor-in-chief, told Fox News Digital that Israel’s targeted strikes on Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure, including the elimination of key figures like IRGC intelligence chief Mohammad Kazemi, signal a “strategic escalation aimed at destabilizing Iran’s regime at its core.” She emphasized that these strikes not only target Iran’s nuclear ambitions but also send a clear message to Tehran’s political elite.

Jonathan Panikoff, director of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative, noted that Israel’s strikes have exposed Iran’s vulnerabilities, particularly after the decimation of its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, and the fall of the Assad regime in Syria. “Israel’s full penetration of Iran and ability to wreak havoc across the Iranian system” has significantly weakened Tehran’s regional influence, he said.

The Israeli military reported that Iran has launched over 270 missiles since June 13, with at least 22 penetrating Israel’s advanced air defence systems, causing havoc in residential suburbs. The Magen David Adom emergency service confirmed that four people, all in their 70s, were killed in central Israel, with 87 others injured. In Tamra, a predominantly Palestinian town, a house partially collapsed after a missile strike, and in Rishon LeZion, three fatalities were reported.

Follow The Raisina Hills on WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn