International
pti-PTI
Intense
Israeli
airstrikes
targeted
Iran’s
capital
early
Wednesday
in
a
conflict
that
a
human
rights
group
said
had
killed
at
least
585
people
across
Iran
and
wounded
1,326
others.
The
Washington-based
group
Human
Rights
Activists
said
it
had
identified
239
of
those
killed
in
Israeli
strikes
as
civilians
and
126
as
security
personnel.
and
people
clean
up
the
scene
of
an
explosion
at
a
residence
compound
after
Israeli
attacks
in
Tehran
The
group,
which
also
provided
detailed
casualty
figures
during
the
2022
protests
over
the
death
of
Mahsa
Amini,
crosschecks
local
reports
in
the
Islamic
Republic
against
a
network
of
sources
it
has
developed
in
the
country.
Iran
has
not
been
publishing
regular
death
tolls
during
the
conflict
and
has
minimised
casualties
in
the
past.
Its
last
update,
issued
Monday,
put
the
death
toll
at
224
people
killed
and
1,277
others
wounded.
Uncertainty
roiled
the
region
and
residents
of
Tehran
fled
their
homes
in
droves
on
the
sixth
day
of
Israel’s
air
campaign
aimed
at
Iran’s
military
and
nuclear
programme.
Israel
asserts
it
had
to
launch
its
airstrike
campaign
to
stop
Iran
from
getting
closer
to
being
able
to
build
a
nuclear
weapon.
It
came
as
Iran
and
the
United
States
had
been
negotiating
over
the
possibility
of
a
new
diplomatic
deal
over
Tehran’s
programme,
though
President
Donald
Trump
has
said
Israel’s
campaign
came
after
a
60-day
window
he
set
for
the
talks.
Iran
long
has
insisted
its
nuclear
programme
was
peaceful,
though
it
was
the
only
non-nuclear-armed
state
to
enrich
uranium
up
to
60%,
a
short,
technical
step
away
from
weapons-grade
levels
of
90%.
The
International
Atomic
Energy
Agency,
the
United
Nations’
nuclear
watchdog,
was
still
conducting
inspections,
though
limited,
in
the
country.
US
intelligence
agencies
as
well
have
said
they
did
not
believe
Iran
was
actively
pursuing
the
bomb.
People
flee
Tehran
as
strikes
continue
A
major
explosion
could
be
heard
around
5
am
in
Tehran
Wednesday
morning,
following
other
explosions
that
boomed
earlier
in
the
predawn
darkness.
Authorities
in
Iran
offered
no
acknowledgement
of
the
attacks,
which
has
become
increasingly
common
as
the
Israeli
airstrike
campaign
has
intensified
since
they
began
on
Friday.
At
least
one
strike
appeared
to
target
Tehran’s
eastern
neighborhood
of
Hakimiyeh,
where
the
paramilitary
Revolutionary
Guard
has
an
academy.
Downtown
Tehran
emptied
out,
with
many
shops
shuttered
as
well
as
the
ancient
Grand
Bazaar.
The
Bazaar
has
closed
only
in
times
of
crisis,
such
as
during
the
2022
anti-government
protests
and
the
coronavirus
pandemic.
On
roads
to
the
west,
traffic
stood
bumper
to
bumper.
Trump
demands
Iranian
surrender
As
the
US
sends
more
warplanes
to
the
Middle
East,
Trump
made
a
series
of
statements
about
the
conflict
fueled
confusion
about
the
US’
role,
including
demanding
“UNCONDITIONAL
SURRENDER”
in
a
post
on
social
media
and
warning
Supreme
Leader
Ayatollah
Ali
Khamenei
that
the
US
knows
where
he
is
hiding
but
that
there
were
no
plans
to
kill
him
“at
least
not
for
now.”
Trump
and
Prime
Minister
Benjamin
Netanyahu
spoke
about
the
evolving
situation
over
the
phone
on
Tuesday,
according
to
a
White
House
official
who
was
not
authorized
to
comment
publicly
and
spoke
on
the
condition
of
anonymity.
Iran
vows
more
retaliation
Iran
offered
no
immediate
response
to
the
president’s
posts,
but
the
country’s
military
leaders
vowed
that
Israel
would
soon
see
more
attacks.
“The
operations
carried
out
so
far
have
been
solely
for
the
purpose
of
warning
and
deterrence,”
Gen
Abdul
Rahim
Mousavi,
the
commander
in
chief
of
Iran’s
army,
said
in
a
video.
“The
punishment
operation
will
be
carried
out
soon.”
Israel’s
military
warned
the
population
to
stay
close
to
shelters
as
Iran
fired
new
salvos
of
missiles
Wednesday,
but
officials
said
most
were
intercepted
and
Israel’s
rescue
services
had
no
immediate
reports
of
injuries.
Sirens
blared
in
southern
Israel,
including
in
the
desert
town
of
Dimona,
the
heart
of
Israel’s
never-acknowledged
nuclear
arms
programme.
The
US
State
Department
announced
that
the
US
Embassy
in
Jerusalem
will
remain
closed
through
Friday.
Iran
has
fired
fewer
missiles
in
each
of
its
barrages,
with
a
just
handful
launched
into
Wednesday.
It
has
not
explained
the
drop
in
missiles
fired,
but
the
decline
comes
after
Israel
targeted
many
Iranian
launchers.
Iran
has
retaliated
by
launching
some
400
missiles
and
hundreds
of
drones
at
Israel.
So
far,
24
people
have
been
killed
in
Israel.
