US President Donald Trump said Wednesday the Islamic Republic's collapse is possible, and that he seeks “total and complete victory,” not a ceasefire.
Iranian missiles targeted Soroka hospital in Beersheba and civilian areas in central Israel on Thursday morning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
“We will make the tyrants in Tehran pay the full price,” Netanyahu posted on X.
Two people were seriously injured and at least 30 others suffered mild blast and shrapnel wounds in the latest missile attacks, Magen David Adom said on Thursday.
The Israeli military said on Thursday that 40 fighter jets carried out overnight airstrikes on dozens of military targets across Iran, using more than 100 munitions in a wide-ranging campaign aimed at damaging Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
Among the sites struck was a non-operational nuclear reactor near Arak, where a core structure used in plutonium production was targeted. The IDF said the component was essential for weapons-grade plutonium and that the strike was intended to prevent it from being repurposed for nuclear arms development.
Fighter jets also hit facilities near Natanz used for nuclear weapons research and development, according to the IDF. Additional strikes targeted missile production plants, air defense system factories, radar sites, and missile storage facilities.
Health Minister Uriel Buso said Thursday that the missile strike on Soroka Medical Center was a “war crime” by Iran, deliberately targeting civilians and medical staff.
“The missile attack on Soroka is an act of terror and a red line crossed,” Buso said. “This was a war crime by the Iranian regime, deliberately aimed at innocent civilians and medical teams.” He added that prior planning by the health ministry prevented what could have been a major disaster.
The Iranian missile that struck Soroka hospital hit an old surgical building that had been evacuated one day earlier due to safety concerns, Israeli officials said Thursday.
Patients and staff were moved to a safer location on Wednesday, anticipating a possible strike. Magen David Adom director Eli Bin said the health ministry had also ordered further evacuation of the affected floor the night before the attack, helping save lives.
Iran's main targets in Thursday morning’s missile attack were the Israeli military’s command and intelligence headquarters, as well as an intelligence camp located near Soroka hospital in southern Israel, Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported.
Israeli police are urging residents in southern Israel to stay away from missile impact sites due to concerns over possible hazardous material leaks, following a wave of Iranian missile attacks.
Southern District Commander Haim Bublil said forces are managing the scenes and scanning for additional impact points. Authorities warned that gathering near the sites could pose serious risks and interfere with bomb disposal and emergency operations.
An area near Iran’s Khondab heavy water facility was targeted, ISNA reported on Thursday. Officials said the site had been evacuated in advance and there is no radiation risk. The report came shortly after the Israeli military issued a Farsi-language warning urging residents of Arak and Khondab in central Iran to evacuate.
Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, southern Israel, was hit by a ballistic missile launched from Iran, Israeli media reported on Thursday. The extent of the damage and any casualties have not yet been confirmed.
Israeli ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter told CNN on Wednesday that the Jewish state was considering various options to attack the Fordow underground nuclear site, including "surprises".
“It might require multiple strikes, it might require something else or it might require one of our surprises,” Leiter said. “We have a few tricks up our sleeves."
“If we have to pursue this and prosecute this by ourselves, we’re going to know what to do," he added. "We’re not going to allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”