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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Iran’s supreme leader on Wednesday refused a call to surrender in the face of Israel’s fierce strike, warning that military involvement by Americans would cause “irreparable damage” to them.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s remarks, which have only been seen once since the strike began, come after President Donald Trump called for a “unconditional surrender” in a social media post, warning that the US knows where he is but has no plans to kill him.
Trump initially distanced himself from Israel’s surprise attacks on Friday that sparked the conflict, but recently he has hinted at a greater US involvement, saying he wants something “much bigger” than a ceasefire. The US has also sent more fighter jets into the region.
Iranian officials warned Wednesday that US intervention would put “all-out war” at risk.
Israeli iron dome air defense system fires to intercept missiles on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 when it attacks Israel’s Tel Aviv.
Although Esmail Baghhai, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was not familiar with it, thousands of American troops are based in nearby countries within Iran’s arms. The United States threatens a massive response to any attack.
Another Iranian official said the country will continue to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes, and eliminated Trump’s demands to abandon the nuclear program that Iran clearly disputed.
Strikes in and around Tehran
The Israeli military said the latest Israeli strike collided with the facility used to build uranium centrifuges and another facility that made missile components. He said he had intercepted 10 missiles overnight as Iran’s retaliatory barrage fell. The UN nuclear watchdog group said Israel had attacked two centrifugal production facilities in and near Tehran.
Israeli forces said they had struck in western Iran, attacking missile storage sites and loaded missile launchers.
The Israeli strike struck several nuclear and military facilities, killing generals and nuclear scientists. A Washington-based Iranian human rights group said at least 585 people have been killed, including 239 civilians, and more than 1,300 have been injured.
Iran launched around 400 missiles and hundreds of drones in a retaliatory strike that killed at least 24 people and injured hundreds of people in Israel. Some were attacked by apartments in central Israel, but caused great damage, and air sirens repeatedly forced Israelis to run to shelters.
Iran fired fewer missiles as the conflict wore on it. Although it does not explain decline, Israel is targeting missile-related launchers and other infrastructure.
Victims mount in Iran
Activists from Washington-based Group Human Rights said 239 people killed in the Israeli strike were identified as civilians and 126 as security personnel.
The group provides detailed victim figures during the protests over Mahsa Amini’s death in 2022, and crosschecks local reports against a network of sources developed in Iran.
Iran has not made regular deaths public during the conflict, minimizing the number of casualties in the past. The final update issued Monday killed 224 people and injured 1,277 people.
It is closed throughout Tehran, including the famous Grand Bazaar.
A huge explosion was heard in Tehran Wednesday morning around 5am. Iranian authorities have not acknowledged the increasingly common attacks as Israeli airstrikes intensified.
At least one strike appeared to have targeted the eastern region of Tehran in Hakimiye, where paramilitary revolutionary guards hold the academy.
There are no signs of back down
Israel says Iran has launched a strike to prevent the construction of nuclear weapons after two months of talks between the US and Iran over a diplomatic resolution was still ongoing. Trump said the Israeli campaign came after a 60-day window he set up for consultation.
Iran Long argues that the nuclear program is peaceful, but it is the only non-nuclear armed state that will enrich uranium by 60%. The US intelligence agency says it does not believe Iran is actively pursuing bombs.
Israel is the only country in the Middle East that has nuclear weapons, but has never publicly recognized them.
Iran’s Geneva ambassador Ali Baleini told reporters that Iran “continue to produce rich uranium as long as it is necessary for peaceful purposes.”
He refused to talk about Iran’s retreat from the Israeli strike to nuclear research and development, saying, “Our scientists will continue their work.”
He said Trump’s comments were “completely unfair” and “very hostile” and that Iran cannot ignore them. He said Iranian authorities are “wary” about the comments and will decide whether the US has crossed any line. “If the red lines cross, you’ll get a response.”
Israel welcomes first repatriation flight
Israelis have returned on flights for the first time since the country’s international airport was closed at the start of the conflict.
Two flights from Larnaca in Cyprus landed at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv on Wednesday morning, airport spokesman Lisa Doville said.
Israel closed airspace to commercial flights for ballistic missile attacks, causing tens of thousands of Israelis to be stranded abroad. The conflict disrupts flight patterns across the region.
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Frankel reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Amir Vardat, Iranian Nasser Karimi and Geneva’s Jamie Kiten contributed.
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