Israel launched wide-scale strikes across Iran as Tehran dismissed US negotiation efforts, vowing to continue its resistance in the expanding Middle East war.
TEHRAN: Israel struck new targets across Iran on Thursday. The attacks followed Tehran’s rejection of US overtures to wind down the nearly four-week war.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi flatly denied any negotiations with President Donald Trump’s administration. “At present, our policy is the continuation of resistance,” Araghchi said on state TV, adding, “We do not intend to negotiate — so far, no negotiations have taken place.”
He conceded only that messages were being exchanged through friendly countries. The Israeli army called its early Thursday operation “wide-scale” strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure.
Local media reported attacks in the central cities of Isfahan and Shiraz. Strikes also hit Bandar Abbas in the south, Tabriz in the northwest, and Mashhad in the northeast, an area largely spared until now.
Iran kept up its retaliatory attacks on Israel, where medics said six people were lightly wounded. Fresh violence also flared in the Gulf, with two people killed by debris from an intercepted Iranian ballistic missile near Abu Dhabi.
Saudi Arabia said it shot down at least 18 drones. Kuwait reported a new missile and drone attack, as Iran targets Gulf nations it accuses of serving as launchpads for US strikes.
Details of a purported US 15-point peace plan emerged via Pakistani officials. Iran’s Press TV cited an official saying Tehran had “responded negatively” and instead put forward its own five conditions.
These include guarantees that the United States and Israel do not resume the war and compensation for damages. Trump insisted at a dinner with lawmakers that Tehran wanted to “make a deal” but was covering up talks out of fear.
“They’re afraid to say it, because they figure they’ll be killed by their own people,” he said. “They’re also afraid they’ll be killed by us.”
The White House has declined to identify its interlocutor in Tehran following the assassination of supreme leader Ali Khamenei. His son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, has not been seen since ascending to the role.
Pro-Iran Hezbollah launched more than 80 attacks against Israel on Wednesday. The militant group said it attacked Israeli forces in nine border towns, marking the largest daily number in the current war.
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said negotiations with Israel would amount to “surrender”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military had “created a genuine security zone” in southern Lebanon, where an Israeli soldier was killed in fighting on Thursday.