New York Times – Here’s What Happened in the War in the Middle East on Saturday
Two Iranian missiles struck cities in southern Israel and wounded dozens as the war entered its fourth week and Israel continued to hammer Tehran and Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, with strikes.
Israel Katz, the Israeli defense minister, said that U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran would “escalate significantly” this coming week as the U.S. military ramped up its aerial attacks. Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of the military’s Central Command, said on Saturday that the United States had struck more than 8,000 targets since the start of the war and had diminished Iran’s arsenal. Iran, however, showed no signs of capitulating.
Here’s what else happened on Saturday.
Iran: The Israeli military said it had struck dozens of sites across Tehran, the Iranian capital, overnight, focusing on factories that developed “critical components for the development of ballistic missiles.” Among the targeted sites was a nuclear facility near Natanz, about 200 miles south of Tehran, according to Iranian state media. No radioactive leakage had been detected, and there was no danger to nearby residents, state media reported. The Israeli military denied that it had struck Natanz, which is considered the heart of Iran’s nuclear program and has long been a target for the United States and Israel.
Iranian state media reported that a hospital in the southwestern city of Andimeshk was damaged in a strike. There was no immediate comment from Israeli or U.S. military officials or reports of casualties.
Lebanon: The Israeli military launched strikes across Lebanon on Saturday, saying it was targeting infrastructure belonging to the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah “with increasing intensity.” Israeli warplanes struck the southern suburbs of Beirut, the Lebanese capital, early Saturday. The areas are considered Hezbollah strongholds.
The strikes came as heavy rain poured down on Beirut, where many displaced people camped outside. Over 800,000 people have been displaced in the country.
Persian Gulf: A total of 22 countries, including Britain, France, Germany and Japan, have signed a statement saying they are ready to “contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage” through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil route that Iran has largely choked off from U.S. allies. The statement indicated that preparations to help secure the waterway were in progress. The United Arab Emirates became the first Arab Persian Gulf nation to join the collective on Saturday.
The same day, the U.A.E.’s defense ministry said the country had intercepted three ballistic missiles and eight drones launched from Iran. Other U.S. allies in the region, including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, similarly reported intercepted missiles and drones. Iranian officials have repeatedly said that their strikes are aimed at U.S. military bases, not the Persian Gulf countries that host them.
Israel: A missile struck the small city of Dimona, about 70 miles south of Jerusalem, and wounded dozens, including a 10-year-old boy with shrapnel injuries, Israel’s emergency medical services said. Israel’s nuclear weapons program is widely believed to be headquartered in Dimona, which is near the country’s main nuclear research facility, making the area a prime target for strikes. U.N. officials said there was no evidence that the nuclear site had been damaged in the attack. Later in the day, a missile also struck the city of Arad, about 25 miles northeast of Dimona, injuring at least 10 people seriously, according to Israeli emergency medical services.
Indian Ocean: American and British officials confirmed on Saturday that Iran attempted to strike a joint U.S.-British military base in the Indian Ocean the previous day. Iran fired two missiles at the base, the Diego Garcia facility, according to a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity. One missile failed mid-flight, and the other was shot down by an American warship.
Death toll: More than 2,300 people have been killed since the start of the war, most in Iran. Iran’s representative to the United Nations said last week that over 1,348 civilians had been killed there. On Thursday, the Human Rights Activists News Agency, a Washington-based advocacy group, reported that at least 1,394 civilians had been killed during the conflict. Separately, the Lebanese health ministry said that more than 1,000 people had been killed in the country. At least 13 American service members have been killed, while the Israeli death toll stood at 14, officials said.