Iran-Israel conflict enters second week with overnight strikes

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Several people were injured early Friday morning in southern Israel where Iranian missiles triggered air raid sirens, after the Israeli air force carried out strikes the night before on military industry sites in Tehran, extending the conflict into its second week.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that Iranian missile fire triggered air raid sirens in southern Israel Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency service, said that “only six people were lightly injured” in the latest attack.

The Israeli Air Force said that 60 of its fighter jets carried out strikes on dozens of targets in Tehran on Thursday night, including military industry facilities and the Spand headquarters, which it claimed is used for “research and development of advanced technologies and weapons.”

Since the escalation began last Friday, around 230 people - mostly civilians - have been killed in Iran and 1,300 injured in Israeli strikes, according to official figures. In Israel, authorities say at least 24 civilians have been killed and 600 injured since the conflict began.

One of Israel’s primary targets has been the top echelon of Iran’s military forces. On Thursday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) appointed Brigadier General Majid Khadami as the new head of its intelligence division, according to the IRGC-affiliated Fars news agency. His predecessor, Mohammed Kazemi, was killed in an Israeli strike on Sunday. Major General Mohammad Pakpour, who was recently appointed IRGC commander following the killing of Hossein Salami in a separate Israeli strike, announced the appointment.

As the conflict continues, the risk grows that others will be drawn into it.

In Lebanon, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on Thursday declared the pro-Iran group is “not neutral” in the conflict and said it “would act as we see fit.”

His comments prompted a sharp response from Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, who accused Hezbollah of blindly following Iranian orders. “The Hezbollah secretary-general is not learning a lesson from his predecessors and is threatening to act against Israel in accordance with the Iranian dictator's orders,” Israel Katz said in a post on X.

“I suggest to the Lebanese proxy to be careful and understand that Israel has lost patience with terrorists who threaten it,” Katz added. “If there is terrorism, there will be no Hezbollah.”

Two Iraqi pro-Iran militia groups also issued threats on Thursday, warning that any United States support for Israel or attempt to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would result in American military, diplomatic, and economic interests becoming “legitimate targets” in the region.

The threats follow remarks by US President Donald Trump, who wrote on Truth Social earlier this week they know the whereabouts of Khamenei. “He is an easy target, but is safe there - We are not going to take him out, at least not for now.”

On Thursday, Israel’s defense minister stated that Khamenei “can no longer be allowed to exist” after an Iranian missile struck the Soroka Medical Center, the largest hospital in southern Israel, reportedly injuring dozens.

Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureates have called for peace.

“War must not decide our future. I call for peace, for the people of Iran, the region, and the world,” Narges Mohammadi, who won the prize in 2023, said in a message relayed from inside Iran.

The UK-based internet watchdog NetBlocks reported that Iran has been largely offline for more than 36 hours, as Tehran continues to impose sweeping internet restrictions it says are aimed at thwarting Israeli military use of local communication networks.

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