At least 10 Israelis were killed and 250 others injured in overnight Iranian strikes on central and northern Israel, while 18 are still missing, local media reported on Sunday.
Israeli Channel 12 reported that the number of deaths in Bat Yam and Rehovot in the south of Tel Aviv also rose to six, while 18 are still missing under the rubble.
Iranian strikes damaged 61 buildings in Bat Yam, rendering six of them uninhabitable, the Bat Yam mayor said, adding that rescue and relief efforts are underway.
Israel also reported damage on Sunday to an oil refinery in the northern city of Haifa after Iranian missile attacks.
Iranian missiles hit the Bazan oil refinery complex in Haifa overnight, causing damage to pipelines and transmission lines, Bazan Group, which operates the complex, said in a statement cited by the Times of Israel news portal.
The company said that oil refining activities continued, while other facilities halted operations.
The Yemeni Houthi group also claimed that it targeted Israel with hypersonic ballistic missiles in coordination with the Iranian army on Sunday.
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Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group hit “sensitive Israeli enemy targets” in Yaffa, central Israel, with hypersonic ballistic missiles at various times in the last 24 hours.
“This operation was coordinated with the operations carried out by the Iranian army against the criminal Israeli enemy,” Saree said. “The operations successfully achieved their objectives,” he added.
No immediate reaction to the Houthi claim was reported from Israel.
The Iranian strikes came after Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on multiple sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, on Saturday, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes within hours.
Israeli airstrikes targeted Iran’s Defense Ministry’s headquarters in Iran’s capital Tehran, the Iranian semi-official news agency Tasnim reported on early Sunday.
The attacks targeted the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics headquarters in the Nobonyad area, causing slight damage to an administrative building.
For its part, the Israeli military said the air force conducted an “extensive series of strikes” in the capital Tehran related to Iran’s “nuclear weapons project.”
Israeli forces targeted “the Iranian Ministry of Defense headquarters, the headquarters of the SPND nuclear project” along with other targets, it said on X.
Israeli forces also struck the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research during separate attacks in the same area.
Iran said that 78 people were killed on the first day of the Israeli assault, and scores, including children, were killed on the second.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that Iran is ready to halt its attacks on Israel if Tel Aviv ends its assault on Tehran.
Speaking to foreign ambassadors in Tehran, Araghchi emphasised that the war was “imposed” on Tehran and that Iran was left with no choice but to respond.
“Our defence is fully legitimate and will be carried out with strength, solely in response to aggression,” he said. “If the attacks cease, Iran’s retaliatory actions will also end.”
Araghchi also said the Israeli “aggression” could not have occurred without coordination and support from the U.S., citing that as a key reason for the breakdown in talks.
He said Iran has “solid and convincing evidence” that U.S. forces and military bases in the region have supported Israeli strikes.
The Iranian minister cited statements made by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said the attacks “couldn’t have happened without American equipment” and hinted at “further stages to come,” as further evidence of U.S. complicity.
Regarding the U.S. denial of involvement in the Israeli strike on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility in Isfahan province, Araghchi said Iran does not accept the claim due to “contradictory evidence.”
“If the U.S. truly had no role, it must clearly and publicly condemn the attack,” he said, stressing that private messages are insufficient. He also called on the international community to recognise Israel’s “violations of international law.”
Araghchi accused Israel of “repeatedly sabotaging nuclear negotiations,” citing the 2020 sabotage of the Natanz enrichment site during the Vienna talks aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal. He said Iran responded to that incident by increasing its uranium enrichment to 60% and replacing damaged centrifuges with more advanced models.
The foreign minister said that despite the provocations, Iran had entered talks with the U.S. in good faith, holding five rounds and preparing a counterproposal aimed at bridging gaps for a potential agreement.
However, he reiterated that Israel remains opposed to any nuclear accord and is actively working to derail diplomacy.
Araghchi said that Iran has formally requested the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to convene an extraordinary session to address the latest Israeli attack on Natanz, describing it as a “red line” in international law that Israel has now crossed.
On the diplomatic front, a growing number of Latin American leaders have issued strong statements either condemning the attacks or calling for restraint and diplomacy.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro condemned Israel’s recent airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and military sites, expressing firm solidarity with Tehran.
Speaking to state television VTV, the Venezuelan leader also affirmed his country’s solidarity with Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and all Muslim and Arab peoples.
Maduro also criticised international silence over Israel’s genocidal attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and called for stopping Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions.
He argued that Israel has been armed and funded with money, aircraft and missiles “to kill thousands of children, women, men and elderly people.”
Meanwhile, Colombia and Mexico also called for restraint and respect for international law.
According to the El Espectador newspaper, the Colombian Foreign Ministry condemned Israel’s attacks and stressed the need for both sides to honour humanitarian norms.
“We express our concern over the potential impact of recent military developments between Israel and Iran on regional stability and international security,” the ministry stated.
Mexico echoed similar concerns, with President Claudia Sheinbaum emphasising her nation’s commitment to peace.
“Mexico will always continue to support peace in the broadest sense,” she said.
A statement from Mexico’s Foreign Ministry urged both nations to keep diplomatic channels open and to choose diplomacy over military confrontation.
“Choosing dialogue and diplomacy over military options is Mexico’s peaceful aspiration,” it read, while also warning against actions that endanger civilians.
Bolivian President Luis Arce, in a statement on X, denounced the June 13 Israeli airstrikes as “a provocation” and extended solidarity to the Iranian people.
“We strongly condemn Israel’s airstrike on the Islamic Republic of Iran. Reports indicate the attack in Tehran killed multiple civilians, including two nuclear scientists and senior military officials,” Arce said.
He also warned that the strikes threaten further instability in the region.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel also slammed Israeli attacks, saying: “We strongly denounce Israel’s attacks on the Islamic Republic of Iran, for irresponsibly escalating tensions in the Middle East and putting regional and international peace at risk.”
“We call for an end to this barbarity and demand respect for international law,” he wrote on X.
