US mulls joining attack as Israel rains blows on Iran

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday urged officials to rally local communities and boost public participation in response to ongoing Israeli attacks.

“Bring the people and neighborhoods to the scene and create participation,” Pezeshkian said during a cabinet meeting, signaling a call for grassroots mobilization.

He did not elaborate on any plans.

He also directed all government institutions to provide support for those affected by the strikes, as the conflict with Israel continues to escalate.

A series of before and after images published by US aerospace firm Maxar Technologies on Tuesday revealed the extent of damage wrought by Israeli attacks on a missile site in Tabriz and the Mashhad airport.

See them here.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday likened the current situation in Tehran to a “tornado,” saying Iranian state symbols were collapsing and citizens were fleeing.

"Symbols of the regime are being bombed and collapsing – from the broadcasting authority and soon other targets, and masses of residents are fleeing. This is how dictatorships fall," Katz posted on X.

Israel is running low on its stock of Arrow missile interceptors, raising fresh concerns over the country's ability to counter long-range ballistic missiles from Iran if the conflict drags on, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The report cited a senior US official as saying that Washington has been aware of the issue for several months and has stepped in to bolster Israeli air defenses, deploying systems across land, sea, and air.

Since hostilities intensified in June, the Pentagon has ramped up its regional missile defense presence, though US interceptor supplies are also under strain.

“Neither the US nor the Israelis can continue to sit and intercept missiles all day,” said Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “The Israelis and their friends need to move with all deliberate haste... we cannot afford to sit and play catch.”

The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement it was “prepared and ready to handle any scenario,” but added it could not discuss munitions-related matters.

Arrow is a critical part of Israel’s multi-layered defense shield, designed to intercept high-altitude ballistic missiles, including those potentially launched from Iran.

A group of employees at Iran’s state broadcaster, IRIB, have said they will not return to work following Israel’s recent strike on the organization, according to information received by Iran International.

Iran is moving "step by step" in its response to Israel and has "not shown all its power," senior lawmaker Abbas Moghtadaei said in an interview with ILNA on Wednesday.

“We have many surprises in our bag,” said Moghtadaei, who serves as the first deputy of parliament’s national security and foreign policy commission.

France warned against toppling Tehran and other Western leaders expressed caution while the United States appeared closer to joining Israel's campaign on Tuesday, as the shock Middle East conflict dominated the G7 Summit in Alberta.

Full story here.

Iran’s Civil Aviation Authority said flight cancellations have been extended until 14:00 local time (10:30 GMT) on Wednesday, state-affiliated SNN reported.

After the quietest night since Iran began its retaliatory attacks on Israel on Friday, the former head of the Iranian strategic desk in Israeli Defense Intelligence, a branch of the Israeli military, told Iran International that Tehran’s missile stocks are running low.

Danny Citrinowicz, who now heads the Iran and Shia axis program at the Institute of National Security Studies, said that at the beginning of the war, intelligence estimates showed Iran had around 2,000 missiles.

Read more here.