Iran has warned that any United States intervention in the conflict with Israel would risk an “all-out war” as the two sides traded attacks for a sixth straight day.
In an interview with Al Jazeera on Wednesday, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei warned: “Any American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region.”
“We have very good relations with Arab countries, and they are very cognisant of the fact that Israel has been trying to drag others into the war. … We are sure our Arab countries hosting US bases would not allow their territory to be used against their Muslim neighbours,” he added.
US President Donald Trump, who initially distanced himself from the Israeli attacks, has since hinted at greater US involvement in the conflict, saying he wants something “much bigger” than a ceasefire. The US has sent more warplanes to the region and is also sending the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier.
Thousands of American soldiers are based in nearby countries within range of Iran’s weapons. The US, however, has threatened a massive response to any attack.
On Tuesday, Trump demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender”.
He also boasted that the United States could easily assassinate Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
“A storm is passing over Tehran,” Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz posted on the social media platform X. “This is how dictatorships collapse.”
Khamenei said Iran would “never surrender”, and warned the US it would suffer “irreparable damage” if it intervenes in the conflict.
“This nation will never surrender,” Khamenei said in a speech read on state television. “America should know that any military intervention will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage.”
Iran will respond to Israeli strikes “strongly” and “without restraint”, its ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva told reporters.
“We will not show any reluctance in defending our people, security and land. We will respond seriously and strongly without restraint,” Ali Bahreini said.
‘Barrages of Iranian missiles’
The warnings were issued as the two sides exchanged fire for a sixth day. The Israeli military said two barrages of Iranian missiles were launched towards Israel in the first two hours of Wednesday morning. Explosions were also heard over Tel Aviv.
The military said it intercepted at least 10 drones launched from Iran.
Early on Wednesday, Iran told residents of Tel Aviv to prepare for an attack as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed its hypersonic Fattah-1 missiles were “repeatedly shaking the shelters” in the commercial hub [of Israel] overnight.
“The 11th wave of the proud Operation Honest Promise 3 using Fattah-1 missiles” was carried out, the IRGC said in a statement broadcast on state television.
Hypersonic missiles travel at more than five times the speed of sound and can manoeuvre midflight, making them harder to track and intercept.
Reporting from Amman, Jordan, Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh said that overnight, volleys of Iranian missiles were fired towards Israel, concentrating on the central area as well as the north.
“We know from the Israeli Ministry of Health that 94 Israelis have been treated for injuries from those overnight strikes and that there were several fires where these missiles hit or where fragments from the interceptors hit,” she said.
Iran’s centrifuge production facilities hit
Later on Wednesday, the Israeli military said it struck weapons manufacturing sites and a facility used to make centrifuges in Tehran.
In a statement posted on Telegram, the military said the latest wave of attacks was carried out as “part of the extensive effort to damage Iran’s nuclear weapons development programme”.
The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that two centrifuge production facilities, a workshop in Karaj and the Tehran Nuclear Research Center, were hit.
“At the Tehran site, one building was hit where advanced centrifuge rotors were manufactured and tested; and at Karaj, two buildings were destroyed where different centrifuge components were manufactured,” the nuclear watchdog said on the social media platform X.
Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Tohid Assadi said people in Iran also heard a lot of explosions overnight.
“What we are seeing on the ground is escalation upon escalation as Israeli strikes continue. For its part, the IRGC also came out to say that they are going to continue their retaliation as long as Israeli strikes go on,” he said.
“And in the city of Tehran, which houses at least 10 million people, we are seeing that a considerable proportion of the population has decided to leave the area. But still, there are many civilians remaining here, and they are very anxious about the future, given the threats from the Israelis as well as the US president, who have told them to evacuate,” he added.
Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported that Iranian forces shot down an Israeli Hermes drone in Isfahan. It also published footage of the downed unmanned aircraft used for surveillance.
The official IRNA news agency reported that Iranian forces destroyed an Israeli F-35 fighter jet in the Javadabad area of Varamin city.
Globally, leaders from Russia, China and the European Union have expressed concern as the conflict continues to rage.
More than 700 foreigners living in Iran have crossed into neighbouring Azerbaijan and Armenia since Israel launched its campaign on Friday, according to government figures.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said more than 700 citizens have been evacuated from Iran and Israel and moved to “places of safety”.
The US also said it was closing its embassy in Jerusalem until Friday due to the conflict.
A Washington, DC-based Iranian human rights group said at least 585 people, including 239 civilians, have been killed and more than 1,300 wounded in the Israeli attacks on Iran. More than 24 people have been killed in Iranian attacks on Israel so far.
