June 17th, the fifth day of the exchange of fire between Israel and Iran has arrived. According to comprehensive messages from sources such as CNN, Reuters, and CCTV News, Israel still continues to launch attacks on multiple Iranian targets through air strikes and other means, while Iran continues to retaliate against Israel with weapons such as ballistic missiles.
On local time June 16th, an Israeli Defense Force official stated that the Israeli Air Force had begun a new round of air strikes on central Iran. Afterward, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu issued a statement saying that the Israeli Air Force had taken control of the Tehran airspace and demanded that residents of Tehran, the capital of Iran, "evacuate immediately." Netanyahu also stated that Israel was achieving its two core strategic goals of "eliminating the Iranian nuclear threat" and "eliminating the Iranian missile threat," and was "moving towards ultimate victory."
Following this, loud explosions were heard in many parts of Tehran. Targets including the Chitgar area of Tehran and the building of the Iranian state television station were all hit by Israeli strikes. The live broadcast of the Iranian state television was temporarily interrupted, and from the studio of the television station, one could see the sound of massive explosions and smoke rising. There are reports that the Israeli attack on the Iranian state television has caused three deaths.
Loading video...
The Israeli Air Force also carried out several large-scale strikes on military targets in western Iran late on June 16th and early on June 17th, including missile storage facilities, ground-to-air missile launchers, drone storage facilities, and other infrastructure.
Images released by the IDF
The Israeli attacks on Iran have also affected civilians. The Iranian Red Crescent Society said on local time June 16th that three of its rescue personnel were killed in an Israeli air strike on northwest Tehran. The organization stated in a statement that these three rescue personnel were assisting in treating the injured in the capital region at the time, calling this event not only a violation of international humanitarian law but also an outright attack on humanity and morality. The Israeli Defense Forces have not yet responded to this incident.
In addition to fixed targets, the Israeli military also released messages on social media stating that it had killed Ali Shadmani, the highest-ranking military commander of Iran. The Israeli military claimed that Shadmani was one of the de facto highest military commanders of Iran and was considered one of the closest people to Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei. However, the Israeli side did not provide more evidence for this information, and related messages remain to be verified.
Ali Shadmani i24NEWS
In the large-scale air strikes launched by Israel on the 13th, then Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri, was killed in the attack. Some Israeli media reported that Shadmani took over Bagheri's position as the commander of the "Khatam al-Anbiya" Command and led Iran's subsequent counterattacks against Israel. Prior to this, Shadmani served as the deputy commander of the "Khatam al-Anbiya" Command and the head of the Operations Department of the Iranian General Staff.
Mohammad Bagheri, former Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, killed in an Israeli air strike IRNA
In response to the continuous air strikes launched by Israel, Iran retaliated with missile attacks. Since local time June 16th, the Israeli military has issued multiple warnings, stating that Iran had launched several waves of missiles at them. After Iran launched the missiles, air-raid sirens sounded across most of Israel.
Multiple places including the Israeli cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv were hit by Iranian missiles. At least one missile struck an oil refinery in Haifa, Israel, causing at least three deaths among Israelis.
Under the pressure of the Iranian attacks, there are many Americans in the area who wish to leave Israel. However, the U.S. Embassy in Israel stated that it was "powerless" and could not organize evacuations or directly assist American citizens in leaving Israel.
The complex of buildings of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. AFP
Senior advisor to the Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Wahidi, said the same day that the Revolutionary Guards were prepared for a long-term comprehensive war with Israel. According to reports by Iranian media quoting Wahidi, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran had considered all possibilities and was ready to deal with any situation that arose during the war. He said that the Revolutionary Guards had not yet fully utilized their missile capabilities and would introduce modern equipment including new-generation missiles into the battlefield at the appropriate time.
According to a通报by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs today (June 17th), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant embassies are working with relevant departments to fully protect the safety of Chinese citizens in Iran and Israel, and to quickly evacuate Chinese citizens.
This article is an exclusive contribution from Guancha Zazhi and cannot be reprinted without permission.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7516811457351369251/
Disclaimer: This article represents the author's personal views. You can express your attitude by clicking the "like/dislike" button below.