Israel Says It’s Preparing For The Possibility Of A Lengthy War Against Iran

Israel ’s military said Saturday it was preparing for the possibility of a lengthy war, and announced it struck an Iranian nuclear research facility overnight and killed three senior Iranian commanders in targeted attacks.

The prospect of a wider war threatened, too. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said they would resume attacks on U.S. vessels and warships in the Red Sea if the Trump administration joins Israel’s military campaign against Iran. The Houthis paused such attacks in May under a deal with the U.S.

The U.S. ambassador to Israel announced the U.S. has begun “assisted departure flights,” the first such flights from Israel since the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza.

Inside Iran, smoke rose from an area near a mountain in Isfahan, where the province’s deputy governor for security affairs, Akbar Salehi, confirmed the Israeli strikes damaged the facility but caused no casualties.

The target was two centrifuge production sites, according to an Israeli military official speaking on condition of anonymity under army guidelines to brief reporters. It was the second attack on Isfahan, which was hit in the first 24 hours of the war as part of Israel’s goal to destroy Iran’s nuclear program.

The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed the latest attack.

Iran again launched drones and missiles at Israel but there were no immediate reports of significant damage. The Magen David Adom rescue service said a drone hit a two-story building in northern Israel, with no casualties.

The Israeli official called it a “small barrage” that was largely intercepted by Israel’s defences. The official estimated that Israel’s military has taken out more than 50% of Iran’s launchers.