Fourth consecutive day of Iranian-Israeli escalation

TEHRAN / TEL AVIV — The conflict between Israel and Iran has entered a critical new phase, now in its fourth consecutive day following three nights of deadly exchanges that have killed dozens of civilians.  

In a sharply worded statement, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared Tehran’s citizens would “soon pay the price” for Iran’s missile attacks on Israeli towns. However, he later walked back the remarks, clarifying Israel’s forces have no intention of targeting Tehran’s population.  

The Israeli military announced Monday it had destroyed 120 Iranian missile launchers, approximately one-third of Iran’s total launch platforms, before they could fire toward Israel in Friday’s attack. 

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for national unity against what he termed “foreign aggression,” while reaffirming Iran’s right to pursue nuclear energy for what he claimed were peaceful civilian purposes.

According to officials familiar with Qatari and Omani mediation efforts, Iran refuses to engage in serious ceasefire talks until completing its retaliation against Israeli strikes. “Iran won’t negotiate under attack,” one official stated.  

Military analysts note Iran has begun deploying new long-range missiles with greater explosive yields, including hypersonic weapons capable of penetrating Israeli air defenses and striking targets within minutes.  

The current escalation marks the most intense hostilities between the two nations since the beginning of their decades-long conflict in 1979.