Iran and Israel show no signs of backing down; conflict escalates

TEL AVIV: Europe’s peace initiative failed to halt escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel. In the negotiations that took place in Geneva yesterday, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared that his country would not abandon its nuclear ambitions until Israel ceases its attacks. “We will not compromise on our nuclear programme as long as assaults continue,” he asserted. In response, Israel equally reaffirmed its determination: “We will persist in our strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities until all capacity is destroyed—no matter the support.”

The talks involved the foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Britain, along with Iranian representative Abbas Araghchi. The main topic of discussion was Iran’s potential withdrawal from its nuclear program. While the talks were underway, a missile struck the Israeli city of Haifa at night, injuring 23 people. Israel also destroyed an Iranian nuclear research facility, resulting in the death of a nuclear scientist. Meanwhile, over a hundred explosions were reported in Tehran yesterday. The exact number of casualties remains unknown.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who has given the green light for action against Iran, indicated that Tehran has two weeks to comply before further U.S. involvement. Meanwhile, media reports suggest that the U.S. is considering the use of nuclear weapons to eliminate Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Russia issued a stern warning, saying it would not allow a major catastrophe to unfold in the Middle East. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem came forward declaring full support for Iran, while Israel warned that Hezbollah would be wiped off the map if it chose to assist Iran.

In Tehran, tens of thousands participated in a rally against Israel. In response to the escalating tensions, countries such as Australia, Switzerland, New Zealand, and the Czech Republic suspended their embassy operations in Tehran. Additionally, British officials will be evacuated from the embassy in Israel.

Iran uses cluster bombs

• On Thursday, one of Iran’s missiles included a cluster bomb unit.
• The bomb detonated at approximately 7 km altitude over central Israel.
• It scattered around 200 submunitions within an 8 km radius, damaging buildings.
• Cluster munitions consist of hundreds of small explosive bomblets.
• They are internationally banned: over 120 countries prohibit their use.