‘Very dangerous’ if US enters war, says Tehran as Israel targets Iran commanders

• Bangladesh calls on global community to hold Israel accountable
• Israeli strikes kill senior Iranian commander
• Israeli missiles hit uranium workshop in Isfahan
• IAEA confirms no nuclear material at site, no radiological risk
• Erdoğan calls Netanyahu 'biggest obstacle to peace'
• Israeli air defence intercepts Iranian missile barrage over Tel Aviv
• Russia backs Iran's right to peaceful nuclear programme

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned yesterday that any US involvement in the war with Israel would be "very dangerous for everyone", as the conflict entered its ninth day with Israeli strikes killing senior Iranian commanders and hitting a nuclear facility.

Speaking at an emergency session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, convened at Tehran's request, Araghchi said Washington must avoid taking sides. "Any direct involvement by the United States will only inflame tensions further," he said.

The participating countries at the session unanimously condemned Israeli aggression in Gaza and Iran, while calling for immediate ceasefire and diplomatic solutions to restore peace in the region.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, speaking at the OIC Council, called on the international community to hold Israel accountable for its actions.

He strongly condemned Israel's unlawful and aggressive military attacks on Iran, describing them as a serious violation of international law, the UN Charter, and Iran's sovereignty.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, at the event, launched a scathing attack on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him the "biggest obstacle to regional peace".

He said Netanyahu was deliberately escalating tensions ahead of renewed nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington. "Netanyahu's Zionist ambitions have no other purpose than to drag our region – and the whole world – into a big disaster," Erdoğan said.

The Turkish president also criticised Western governments for giving Israel "unconditional support" and urged countries with influence to "reject Israel's poison" and instead push for a peaceful solution. 

"It is vital for us to show more solidarity to end Israel's banditry – not only in Palestine but also in Syria, in Lebanon, and in Iran," Al Jazeera reports, quoting Al Jazeera.

Missile strikes continue 

Israeli airstrikes yesterday killed Saeed Izadi, a senior commander of the Quds Force's Palestine Corps, in a strike on an apartment in Qom, central Iran. The Quds Force is the overseas arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Separately, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that an Israeli missile strike hit a centrifuge workshop at a nuclear site in Isfahan, used to produce machines for enriching uranium.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said, "We know this facility well. There was no nuclear material at this site and therefore the attack will have no radiological consequences."

Iranian state media earlier reported a strike on Qom had also killed a 16-year-old and injured two others. Israel said it had also launched attacks on multiple missile launch and storage sites in Iran.

Ali Shamkhani, a close advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said he survived an Israeli strike. "It was my fate to stay with a wounded body, so I stay to continue to be the reason for the enemy's hostility," he said via state media.

The Israeli military reported an incoming missile barrage from Iran early Saturday, triggering air raid sirens in Tel Aviv and parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Interceptors lit up the night sky over central Israel as air defence systems responded. No casualties were reported, but the alert added to growing civilian anxiety amid intensifying exchanges.

Civilian toll mounts

Iranian state-run Nour News, citing the Health Ministry, said at least 430 people have been killed and 3,500 injured in Iran since Israeli attacks began on 13 June.

Hossein Kermanpour, head of public relations at Iran's Health Ministry, stated that most casualties were civilians. "Among the injured, 2,220 have been treated and discharged, while 232 received outpatient care at the scene," he said on social media. Over 450 surgeries have been performed since the conflict began.

In Israel, at least 24 civilians have been killed by Iranian missile attacks, according to Reuters citing local authorities.

No evidence Iran seeks nukes: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday reiterated that Moscow has seen no evidence suggesting Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons, according to remarks published by Sky News Arabia.

In an interview cited by the outlet, Putin said that both Russia and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have never had any proof that Iran is preparing to obtain nuclear arms.