Iran said, early on Wednesday, June 18, that it fired hypersonic missiles at Israel, in the latest round of overnight strikes between the archfoes, hours after Donald Trump demanded the Islamic Republic of Iran’s “unconditional surrender.” The US president insists Washington has played no part in ally Israel’s bombing campaign, but also warned Iran that his patience was wearing thin, as the conflict enters a sixth day.
Israeli warplanes targeted the Iranian capital before dawn on Wednesday, after the military issued a warning for civilians to leave one district for their safety. The Israeli military later said it struck weapons manufacturing sites and a facility used to make centrifuges in Tehran.
Iran told residents of Tel Aviv to prepare for an attack, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claiming its hypersonic Fattah-1 missiles were “repeatedly shaking the shelters” in the commercial hub. “The 11th wave of the proud Operation Honest Promise 3 using Fattah-1 missiles” was carried out, the Guards said in a statement broadcast on state television. Hypersonic missiles travel at more than five times the speed of sound and can manoeuvre mid-flight, making them harder to track and intercept.
Iran also sent a “swarm of drones” towards Israel, where the army said it intercepted two over the Dead Sea area.
Trump demands ‘unconditional surrender’
Trump fuelled speculation about American intervention when he made a hasty exit from the G7 summit in Canada, where the leaders of the club of wealthy democracies jointly called for a ceasefire. Back in Washington on Tuesday, Trump demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender.”
He also boasted that the United States could easily assassinate Iran’s supreme leader. “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.
While he has repeatedly vowed to avoid wading into the “forever wars” of the Middle East, Trump ordered the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier to the region, along with a number of US military aircraft. He met with his National Security Council to discuss the conflict, ending after an hour and 20 minutes with no immediate public statement. US officials stressed that he had not yet made a decision about any intervention.
World powers push for a diplomatic solution
World powers have scrambled for an offramp, hoping to prevent the conflict from spiralling into a region-engulfing war. In separate phone calls with his Iranian counterpart and US envoy Steve Witkoff on Tuesday night, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty urged a diplomatic solution.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Trump had a critical role to play in restarting diplomacy with Iran, where attempts at regime change would bring “chaos.”
Help us improve Le Monde in English
Dear reader,
We’d love to hear your thoughts on Le Monde in English! Take this quick survey to help us improve it for you.
Take the survey
China accused Trump of “pouring oil” on the conflict, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu of being “the biggest threat to the security of the region.”
Foreign governments evacuate their nationals
Despite international alarm, neither side has backed off from the long-range blitz that began on Friday, when Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities. Israel claims its attacks have killed senior Iranian commander Ali Shadmani as well as his predecessor, Gholamali Rashid.
Residential areas in both countries have suffered deadly strikes since the fighting broke out, and foreign governments have scrambled to evacuate their citizens. More than 700 foreigners living in Iran have crossed into neighbouring Azerbaijan and Armenia since Israel launched its campaign, according to government figures.
The United States said it was closing its embassy in Jerusalem until Friday amid the growing conflict, but there was no announcement about helping Americans leave the “crisis area.”
Tehran residents flee
Fearing violence, many residents of Tehran have fled. On Tuesday, long queues stretched outside bakeries and petrol stations as people rushed to stock up on fuel and basic supplies. A cyberattack on Tuesday crippled Sepah Bank, one of Iran’s main state-owned banks, the Fars news agency reported.
Iran said on Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. It has not issued an updated toll since then.
Meanwhile, since Friday, at least 24 people have been killed in Israel and hundreds wounded, according to Netanyahu’s office.
Nuclear facilities
After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel said its surprise air campaign was aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons – an ambition Tehran denies.
The conflict derailed a running series of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, with Iran saying after the start of Israel’s campaign that it would not negotiate with the United States while under attack.
Iranian media reported several explosions on Tuesday in the central city of Isfahan, which is home to nuclear facilities. The UN’s nuclear watchdog said there appeared to have been “direct impacts on the underground enrichment halls” at Iran’s Natanz facility.
Israel has maintained ambiguity regarding its own atomic activities, but the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) says it has 90 nuclear warheads.
