Iran’s health ministry announced on Sunday that recent Israeli airstrikes had killed 224 people and injured over 1,200. According to ministry spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour, “after 65 hours of aggression by the Zionist regime, 1,277 people have been injured” and “224 women, men and children have been martyred.” He also stated that “90 percent of those killed were civilians.”
Senior Officials and Scientists Among the Dead
In addition to civilian casualties, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard revealed that the attacks killed several top military figures. Among them was Mohammad Kazemi, Iran’s intelligence chief. Two other generals also died, along with senior officers and nuclear scientists. This marks a major blow to Iran’s military leadership.
Israel Confirms Casualties on Its Side
Meanwhile, Israeli officials said that 14 people have died in the country since Friday. They also reported 390 injuries. These figures reflect damage caused by Iran’s counterstrikes.
Iran Promises a “Devastating Response”
In response, a senior Iranian military official issued a stern warning. Colonel Reza Sayyad said that “the scale of the devastating response by Iran’s brave fighters will certainly encompass all parts of the occupied territories (Israel).” He further advised Israeli citizens to evacuate, warning that “the occupied territories will certainly no longer be habitable in the future” and “shelters will not guarantee security.”
Netanyahu Justifies Continued Attacks
On the other hand, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his country’s actions in an interview with Fox News. He stated that Israel would press on with its campaign against Iran to destroy its nuclear capabilities. According to him, “we’re geared to do whatever is necessary to achieve our dual aim, to remove … two existential threats — the nuclear threat and the ballistic missile threat.”
He also explained the broader reason for the offensive. “We did act — to save ourselves, but also, I think, to not only protect ourselves, but protect the world from this incendiary regime,” he said, adding, “we can’t have the world’s most dangerous regime have the world’s most dangerous weapons.”