Israel preparing for a ‘possible long war’ against Iran as tensions escalate in Middle East: Report

Earlier, the Israeli military had told its troops to be prepared for a "prolonged campaign" as the country continued to trade fire with Iran.

Israel on Saturday reportedly said that it was preparing for a possibly long war against Iran as its military struck an Iranian nuclear facility in Isfahan overnight, killing Tehran's three senior commanders in targeted attacks.

Isfahan's deputy governor for security affairs, Akbar Salehi, confirmed that Israeli strikes damaged the nuclear research facility but clarified that there were no casualties, The Associated Press reported.

This was the second attack on Isfahan. The Israeli military had first hit the enrichment site in the early 24 hours of the conflict last week. Israel had said that its strikes aimed to dismantle Iran's nuclear capabilities.

Iran also reported several loud explosions from its southwestern parts as the Israeli military launched fresh strikes at the country.

The Israeli military's chief spokesman, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, later said that Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir told the army to be prepared for a "prolonged campaign".

Meanwhile, Iran also launched a new wave of drones and missiles at Israel, with the Magen David Adom rescue services reporting that a drone hit a two-storey building in northern Israel.

An Israeli official, however, said that it was a "small barrage" which was largely intercepted by the country's air defences. "We're making it harder for them to fire toward Israel," he said, adding that, "Having said all that, I want to say the Iranian regime obviously still has capabilities."

Earlier in the day, Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said that the active involvement of the US military in the war "would be very, very dangerous for everyone".

The conflict in the Middle East region began on June 13 when Israel struck Iran's nuclear and military infrastructure, killing the country's top military commanders and nuclear scientists.

Iran's health ministry on Saturday said that Israeli strikes have killed over 400 people since the attack began last week, with 3,056 others being injured in the country. However, a US-based Human Rights Activist agency said that at least 657 people have been killed in Iran, including 263 civilians.