Iran-Israel clashes continue for fifth day, three more killed

Even on the fifth day of the conflict, Israel continues its attacks on Iran. From Tuesday morning (June 17) until now, Iran’s defense forces (IDF) have reported that three people have been killed and four injured in the Israeli attacks.

At the same time, Iran launched missile attacks on Israel. According to the IDF, five people were slightly injured in these attacks.

Qatar-based news channel Al Jazeera reported that the latest casualties in Iran occurred in the central city of Isfahan. A missile struck a security checkpoint in the morning, killing at least three people and injuring four.

Iranian news agencies Tasnim, ISNA, and Mehr confirmed the deaths but provided no further details.

Meanwhile, Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that they attacked an Israeli military intelligence center and a Mossad operation planning center earlier that morning.

This claim was published by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

Al Jazeera also reported that, according to earlier Israeli media, a missile attack struck the central Israeli city of Herzliya. The missile hit a “sensitive” coastal area, which typically refers to a military or strategic site.

In another missile strike on a bus parking lot in central Israel, five people were injured. However, Israel’s emergency service, Magen David Adom (MDA), said that no serious injuries or further damage were reported elsewhere since the morning.

According to Al Jazeera, around 8:45am local time, the Israeli army warned about “incoming Iranian missiles.” Loud explosions were heard in Tel Aviv and West Jerusalem. Sirens sounded in other areas too.

The IDF said that although missiles and shells caused damage in Tel Aviv, no deaths or injuries were reported. But about 20 minutes later, the IDF issued another statement allowing people in different parts of the country to leave safe shelters. The military also asked citizens to follow the Home Front Command’s safety instructions.

The police said rescue teams are searching and clearing areas where missiles have landed. Firefighters were sent to Gush Dan, near Tel Aviv, after reports of missile strikes and fires.

Earlier, on Monday night (June 16), three journalists were killed in an Israeli attack on the headquarters of Iran’s state media Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) in Tehran. The IRGC spokesperson and official news agency IRNA said the dead included Nima Rezapur, IRIB’s news editor, and Masoumeh Azimi, a secretary, among others. TV broadcasting stopped for about an hour after the attack.

However, the Times of Israel, citing the Israeli army, reported that fewer than ten missiles were launched from Iran overnight — the lowest number in the past five days. The missiles targeted Tel Aviv in central Israel and Haifa in the north. A combined missile and drone strike caused significant damage to a civilian oil refinery in Haifa, resulting in the deaths of three people. The refinery's operator, Bazan Group, stated that the facility's power and steam systems were severely damaged, forcing a complete shutdown of operations.

Since the conflict began on Friday (June 13), Israeli airstrikes in Iran have killed at least 228 people, including 70 women and children, and injured 1,286 others. In comparison, Iranian attacks on Israel have left 24 people dead, also including women and children, and nearly 300 more are currently being treated in hospitals.