Israel warns and strikes: Arak nuclear reactor under attack

On the seventh day of direct confrontation between Iran and Israel, a series of explosions rocked Tehran, Isfahan, Alborz, and the Karaj region near the capital, in conjunction with Israeli airstrikes targeting military sites.

Iranian television confirmed that Israel bombed the Arak heavy water nuclear reactor, emphasizing that there is no radiation threat after the facility was evacuated in advance.

In return, Iran launched about 20 missiles towards Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, Galilee, Negev, and Beersheba, hitting several missiles at Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, with two falling near Tel Aviv and another in the Negev.

Alarm sirens sounded in wide areas, while the Israeli army announced that it is working to intercept missiles coming from Iran.

Israel had previously issued a warning to Iranian civilians not to approach the Arak reactor, including a satellite image indicating the targeted location.

The Arak reactor is an international concern due to the use of heavy water that can produce plutonium, opening a parallel path to nuclear weapon production, in addition to uranium enrichment.

Under the 2015 nuclear agreement, Iran agreed to modify the reactor design to alleviate concerns, but activated its secondary circuit in 2019 without constituting a direct violation of the agreement.

Israeli airstrikes targeted over 20 objectives in Tehran in the past hours, including nuclear weapons development facilities and missiles, carried out by 60 fighter jets according to the Israeli army.

In the United States, President Donald Trump is preparing for a third meeting in the "War Room" to receive a new intelligence report on available options, amid reports of a possible American strike against Iran in the coming days.

Since June 13, Israel has launched an intensive military campaign targeting military sites, missile platforms, and nuclear facilities inside Iran, assassinating dozens of military leaders and at least 10 nuclear scientists.

Tehran retaliated by launching about 400 ballistic missiles and over a thousand drones, hitting 20 civilian areas in Israel, according to an Israeli military source.

In the first direct confrontation of this scale between the two countries, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei declared that his country did not start the war and will not surrender, describing Trump's statements as unconditional and ridiculous surrender.

The world anxiously awaits the developments in the coming hours amid fears of a wide regional explosion.