Israel says strikes cripple Iranian missile sites; all drones intercepted

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations Danny Dannon said on Wednesday the country is in an ongoing conflict with the Iranian regime, which he accused of targeting Israelis for decades and of attempted assassinations of the US president

“When you have a regime that supports terror and attacks Israelis and Americans, it’s part of an ongoing conflict, and that’s why we are continuing this conflict,” Dannon said. “But this time, we are not playing defense. This time we are pushing back, and this time we are winning.”

US House Speaker Mike Johnson rejected claims that Operation Epic Fury contradicts Republican calls for peace, saying the military action reflects the party’s long-held doctrine of “peace through strength” rather than appeasement.

“Peace is not secured through appeasement, and it’s certainly not secured by airdropping billions of dollars on terrorist regimes, which is what previous Democratic administrations have done,” Johnson said. “Peace is secured through strength.”

Johnson said the concept has defined the Republican Party throughout his lifetime and long before that, adding that the current administration is demonstrating that approach.

“That is why America is the last great superpower on the planet,” he said, adding that “all freedom-loving people around the world are grateful to God for that.”

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense announced on Wednesday that its forces successfully intercepted and destroyed three cruise missiles outside Al-Kharj city, southeast of the capital.

The announcement marks the third wave of aerial attacks repelled in the same area on the same day. Earlier in the day, Saudi defenses downed nine drones and two cruise missiles. No casualties or damage were reported in any of the incidents.

The UN’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran on Wednesday condemned Israeli and US airstrikes on the country and urged an immediate halt to the conflict.

“These attacks, which were followed by Iran’s retaliatory strikes across the region, run counter to the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State,” the mission said in a statement.

The mission warned that all parties must comply with international humanitarian law and protect civilians, adding that violations could lead to accountability for war crimes and serious human rights abuses.

The mission also expressed alarm over Iran’s retaliatory attacks on neighbouring countries and raised concerns about the safety of detainees in Iran, including people arrested during nationwide protests that began on Dec. 28, 2025.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the offer was part of what she described as “good faith negotiations” conducted by President Donald Trump’s envoys in the weeks leading up to the attacks.

According to Leavitt, US negotiators offered to lift sanctions on Iran, supply nuclear fuel for peaceful purposes and support a joint civil nuclear program backed by American investment.

In return, Iran would have been required to permanently dismantle its enrichment facilities.

“They refused to say yes to peace,” Leavitt said. “And now they are reaping the consequences of that.”

The proposals emerged from three rounds of talks mediated by Oman before the strikes began. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in discussions aimed at defusing tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Oman’s foreign minister later said the US attacks came at a time when Tehran had already signaled readiness for unprecedented concessions related to its nuclear activities, raising questions about Washington’s characterization of the negotiations.

Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful and insists it will not give up what it describes as its sovereign right to enrich uranium.

Iranian officials say enrichment for civilian purposes, including nuclear energy and medical uses, is permitted under international agreements, though they have expressed willingness in the past to accept limits and monitoring.

US President Donald Trump also suggested the conflict could further reshape Iran’s leadership.

“Their leadership is just rapidly going. Everybody that seems to want to be a leader, they end up dead,” Trump said on Wednesday, adding that the United States was in a “very strong position” in the conflict and rating the country’s military strength “about a 15” on a scale of 10.

The dispute over enrichment has remained the central obstacle in nuclear diplomacy between Tehran and Washington.

With negotiations now overtaken by military escalation, the collapse of the talks has pushed the long-running nuclear dispute into open conflict and raised fears the confrontation could widen across the region.