Smoke rises after latest Iranian attack on Israel, as Israeli strikes on Iran continue – follow live

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Attack on Iran widens, but Netanyahu says Israel is on side of Iranian peoplepublished at 18:23 British Summer Time

Sebastian Usher
Middle East regional editor

Israel is widening its attack on Iran by the day.

It started by targeting Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure, hitting not just the sites but the people running them.

Now, there are reports of strikes on residential areas, fuel depots, ministries and even an attack 2,000km from Israel on a refuelling plane in Mashhad airport.

The toll in casualties in Iran is also becoming clearer.

The Israeli military has spoken of opening a path to Tehran, while defence minister Israel Katz has threatened to burn the Iranian capital if Iran continues to fire missiles at Israel.

The Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed Israel is on the side of the Iranian people and quoted the famous slogan of mass protests there a few years ago – Woman, Life, Freedom.

At the same time, Israelis have seen destruction and loss of life in quiet residential areas – despite the Iron Dome.

Such incidents only seem likely to drive the Israeli government’s attack on Iran even more fiercely.

But in doing so, Israel risks turning its stated aim of a war on the Islamic regime and its potential to build nuclear bombs into what may look more like a war on the Iranian people.