The Israeli military on Sunday warned Iranians to immediately evacuate “military weapons production factories” in the Farsi language as they continue to unleash airstrikes across Iran for a third consecutive day. Israel threatened to use greater force as some Iranian missiles evaded Israeli air defences to strike buildings in the heart of the country.
The talks that were scheduled on Iran's nuclear program, which could mitigate the conflict, stand canceled.
The military's warning to the Iranians comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on them to rise up against the regime of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying the time has come to "end the tyranny that has brought nothing but misery and isolation."
US President Donald Trump has expressed full support for Israel's actions while warning Iran that it can only avoid further destruction by agreeing to a new nuclear deal.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that if the Israeli strikes on Iran stop, then "our responses will also stop." He said the United States "is a partner in these attacks and must take responsibility."
What Did Israeli Colonel Avichay Adraee Say?
IDF Spokesperson for the Arab Media, Colonel Avichay Adraee, posted the warning on the microblogging site X in Iran’s Farsi language on June 15.
His post read, "Urgent warning to all Iranian citizens: All individuals who are currently or will soon be inside or near military weapons production factories and their supporting institutions must immediately evacuate these areas and not return until further notice."
Adraee has also warned about strikes in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Yemen amid the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip in the past.
This warning came hours after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that Tehran would 'stop' its attacks on Israel if Israel stopped its strikes.
Netanyahu's Warning To Iranians
Netanyahu spoke to Iranian’s directly in a video.
Addressing them in English, he said, “The time has come for the Iranian people to unite around its flag and its historic legacy, by standing up for your freedom from the evil and oppressive regime,” he said. “The Islamic regime, which has oppressed you for almost 50 years, threatens to destroy our country.’’
"Since we last spoke, the Khamenei regime launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at my country, Israel. I wonder: Did he tell you how much that attack cost? Well, I’m not guessing. It's $2.3 billion. That’s how much of your precious money they wasted on futile attacks", the Israeli Prime Minister said.
He went on to say that "The missiles did marginal damage to Israel, but what damage did they do to you? That sum could have added billions to your transportation budget. It could have added billions to your education budget."
Last November, during the tit for tat strikes between Israel and Iran, Netanyahu had again addressed Iranians, and said. "I want you to imagine - just imagine - how your life could be different if Iran was free. You could speak your mind without fear. You could make a joke without wondering if you’d be carted off to Evin prison. Close your eyes. Picture the faces of your children – beautiful innocent souls. Think of the endless potential they would have. Their entire lives are ahead of them."
Read Full Story: Why Is Israel’s Prime Minister Addressing Iranians Directly?
Israel-Iran Conflict Over Past 3 Days
New explosions were heard across Tehran and were reported elsewhere in the country early Sunday, but there was no update to a death toll released the day before by Iran's U.N. ambassador, who said 78 people had been killed and more than 320 wounded.
In Israel, at least 10 people were killed in Iranian strikes overnight and into Sunday, according to Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service, bringing the country's total death toll to 13. The country's main international airport and airspace remained closed for a third day.
Israeli strikes targeted Iran's Defense Ministry early Sunday after hitting air defenses, military bases and sites associated with its nuclear program. The killing of several top generals and nuclear scientists in targeted strikes indicated that Israeli intelligence has penetrated Iran at the highest levels.
World leaders made urgent calls to deescalate. The attack on nuclear sites set a "dangerous precedent," China's foreign minister said. The region is already on edge as Israel seeks to annihilate Hamas, an Iranian ally, in the Gaza Strip, where the war is still raging after Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brushed off such calls, saying Israel's strikes so far are "nothing compared to what they will feel under the sway of our forces in the coming days."
Araghchi, Iran's top diplomat, said Israel had targeted an oil refinery near Tehran and another in the country's Bushehr province on the Persian Gulf. He said Iran had also targeted "economic" sites in Israel, without elaborating.
