'Tehran will burn' if Iran continues firing missiles: Israeli Defence Minister
Jerusalem, Jun 14 (PTI): Defence Minister Israel Katz has warned Iran that “Tehran will burn” if it continues firing missiles at Israel as tensions escalated between the two nations.
His comments came after Iran launched retaliatory strikes on Israel following Israel's attack on Iran’s nuclear, missile and military complex.
“The Iranian dictator is turning the citizens of Iran into hostages and creating a reality in which they, especially the residents of Tehran, will pay a heavy price for the criminal attack on Israeli civilians,” Katz said during a situation assessment with Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, Mossad director David Barnea, and other top military officials.
“If (Ali) Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front, Tehran will burn,” the Israeli defence minister asserted.
Israel has so far kept its attacks limited to Iranian nuclear and military installations and has targeted key officials attached to them.
Iran has fired some 200 ballistic missiles at Israel in several barrages since last night, the IDF said.
Most of the missiles were intercepted by air defences, it claimed.
Around 25%, less than 50, were not intercepted “according to protocol” allowing them to strike open areas without causing damage to any critical infrastructure.
A “small number” of missiles made it through air defences and caused casualties and damage, including in residential areas in Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan and Rishon Lezion in central Israel, the Army said.
Three Israelis are said to have been killed and some 70 others wounded in the Iranian missile attacks.
The IDF said that all of its bases, including air bases, are operating as usual with no harm to their functionality.
Several drones fired at Israel overnight, in addition to the 100 fired on Friday, were shot down by the Israeli Air Force and Navy.
Meanwhile, Zamir and Israeli Air Force chief, Tomer Bar, have said that “the way to Tehran has been paved”, stressing that the Israeli jets can now freely operate in the Iranian capital.
“According to the plans, air force fighter jets will begin to carry out strikes on targets in Tehran,” the Israeli army said.
The statement follows the Israeli Army's claim last night that its jets struck air defence systems in Tehran, enabling the military more freedom of aerial action above the Islamic Republic's capital.
"The strikes over the skies of Tehran have operational and national significance. We chose to act in the face of an existential threat to the security of our citizens, with professionalism, determination and precision," Bar was quoted on the IDF's social media handle on X as saying.
Dozens of (Israeli) Air Force fighter jets attacked dozens of targets in Tehran overnight, including surface-to-air missile infrastructure, as part of an effort to dismantle the Iranian regime's air defence capabilities in the Tehran area, the IDF said.
"After a powerful day in which we attacked hundreds of targets, including dozens of anti-aircraft targets, we carried out a wave of precise attacks of operational and national significance over the skies of Tehran, which improves our air superiority and freedom of action in Iran," Bar was quoted as saying.
"For the first time since the beginning of the war, dozens of Air Force fighter jets flew over the skies of Tehran, more than 1,500 kilometres from the territory of the State of Israel, and attacked defence systems in the Tehran area," he emphasised.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
