Multiple explosions reported in Iran

Explosions were reported inside of Iran while unconfirmed reports indicated multiple Iranian sites were struck, possibly by Israel.

The semi-official Iranian Fars News Agency reported explosions near the city of Isfahan in central Iran. The state-run Iranian news agency Press TV also reported explosions in Isfahan but noted the reasons were still unknown.

Other unconfirmed reports indicate potential strikes near the cities of Daraa in Syria and Baghdad in Iraq.

Flights were being diverted around western Iran early Friday morning local time, according to the Associated Press.

It’s not clear what the immediate targets were if the strikes happened and if Israel is behind them, but Isfahan is home to Iranian nuclear facilities and sites.

Iran warned earlier on Thursday that the targeting of nuclear sites could result in the change of the nuclear doctrine in Tehran, which does not have nuclear weapons but possesses enriched uranium and holds the capacity to obtain them.

The alleged Israeli strikes will likely inflame tensions even further in the Middle East, which is already embroiled in conflicts in Gaza and in northern Israel and southern Lebanon.

Israeli officials pledged earlier this week to respond to Iran, which sent a flurry of some 300 missiles and drones at Israel last weekend.

That attack, which was largely defeated by Israeli and allied defense systems, came in response to an alleged Israeli strike near the Iranian embassy in Syria that killed two high-ranking commanders.

The Biden administration pushed Israel not to respond to Iran, but Israeli officials were publicly arguing that such a brazen Iranian attack must be answered.

Iran, in turn, publicly warned that any Israeli attack would be met with a much harsher response than last weekend’s assault.

 

Protesters demand Netanyahu’s resignation

Protesters once again took to the streets of Tel Aviv, Caesarea and Haifa on Saturday, demanding resignation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and early elections. The situation underlines fears that the war in Gaza could spread into a broader regional conflict.

Demonstrators also called for the release of all Israeli hostages held in Gaza ahead of the six-month mark of hostilities.

Many people waved Israeli flags and held up signs with images of hostages, calling on the government to bring them home alive.

In Tel Aviv, protesters were heard chanting: “We are not afraid; you destroyed the country, and we will fix it. We want them (hostages) back alive and not in coffins.”

Other protesters were seen by a CNN team on the ground holding flags and banners, with one reading, “The government that destroyed the country and tore the nation apart.”

Another banner called for the “division of religion and state,” and one stated that “Netanyahu is dangerous to Israel.”

Protesters in Haifa called the government a failure, saying Netanyahu is “guilty, guilty, guilty.”

“Elections now!” read one banner held by a protester.

Meanwhile, a protester was arrested for punching and injuring a police officer during an anti-government rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday, Israeli police said in a statement.

The Israel Police also warned protesters not to light bonfires as demonstrators march through the streets, saying it can be “life-threatening” around the crowd.

“We will act with zero tolerance towards those who disrupt the order and behave violently towards police officers,” authorities said in a statement.

With the war in Gaza raging for six months the patience of Israel’s allies is running out. As the death toll in the enclave continues to climb, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Israel has no viable plan for how to end the war or what comes next.

The determination to continue pursuing Hamas in Gaza despite the horrific humanitarian consequences is leaving Israel increasingly isolated on the global stage, with its government facing pressure from all sides.

Multiple international organizations have warned Israel may be committing genocide, and even the country’s closest allies are now openly criticizing Netanyahu. Calls to halt arms shipments to Israel are growing in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Netanyahu and his government are under mounting pressure at home, with protesters back on the streets in large numbers calling for his resignation.

Israel launched the war immediately after the deadly October 07, 2023 attacks by Hamas. At that time, the Israeli government said the operation had two goals: eliminating Hamas and bringing back the hostages taken by the militants to Gaza. Six months into the conflict, neither goal has been reached.

Also, speaking from a funeral procession Saturday for a slain military officer, Iran’s highest-ranking commander vowed that an Israeli strike on its embassy complex in Damascus will not go unanswered. The remarks come as the US braces for a significant Iranian attack on US or Israeli assets in the Middle East, according to a senior administration official.