TEHRAN: Iran launched a fresh missile attack on Israel on Thursday, shortly after US President Donald Trump delivered a national address on the Middle East war.
Israel’s military said it had “identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel,” marking the third such attack in just over three hours, with air defence systems activated to intercept the threat.
Air raid sirens sounded across northern Israel, according to the military’s Home Front Command, with no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
Initial assessments indicated that the strike involved around 10 ballistic missiles targeting central Israel, including the Tel Aviv area. Military officials said several of the missiles were equipped with cluster warheads, dispersing smaller munitions over a wide area.
The attack came as Israel prepared for the Passover holiday and followed a series of six separate missile salvoes launched earlier in the day, underscoring the intensity of the escalation.
The conflict also widened regionally, with Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen claiming a joint operation alongside Iran and Hezbollah. At the same time, Iranian drones reportedly targeted fuel storage facilities at Kuwait’s international airport.
Trump’s Address and Claims
In his prime-time address from the White House, President Trump said the war was “nearing completion,” asserting that US forces had largely destroyed Iran’s navy, air force, and missile capabilities.
He claimed earlier that Iran’s president had sought a ceasefire — an assertion swiftly rejected by Tehran as “false and baseless.” Trump added that US military operations could conclude within two to three weeks, while warning that strikes would continue “extremely hard” until objectives are met.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in an open letter to the American public, accused Washington of committing war crimes and questioned US involvement in the conflict. Iranian officials signalled they would continue resisting, rejecting any externally imposed “deadlines” on their right to self-defence.
