Over 20 Iranian commanders killed in Israeli air strikes

Israeli military said on Saturday over 20 Iranian army and Revolutionary Guards commanders were killed in its air strikes.

Iranian armed forces chief Mohammad Bagheri was among the top commanders killed in the Israeli attacks.

"Since the beginning of the operation (on Friday), over 20 commanders in the Iranian regime's security apparatus have been eliminated," the Israeli military said in a statement.

Israel’s defense minister Israel Katz has warned that “Tehran will burn” if Iran continues firing missiles.

Katz also said Iran will pay a heavy price for harming Israeli citizens. "If (Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front — Tehran will burn.”

Both the nations have signaled more attacks on each other despite urgent calls from world leaders to de-escalate tensions and avoid all-out war.

Tel Aviv said its hundreds of strikes on Iran over the past two days also killed nine senior scientists and experts involved in Iran’s nuclear program.

According to Iran’s UN ambassador, 78 people were killed and more than 320 injured.

In response to Israeli attacks, Iran retaliated by launching waves of drones and ballistic missiles.

On Friday, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his objective was to eliminate any Iranian threat to Israel, but he also urged Iranians to rise up against their leaders.

Iran nuclear talks

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday criticized the United States for supporting Israel while Washington and Tehran were engaged in nuclear talks.

"The Zionist regime's coordination with the United States in its aggression against Iranian territory in the midst of negotiations is a sign of America's dishonesty and unreliability," Pezeshkian said in a phone call with the Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to the Iranian presidency.

Pezeshkian also warned that there would be a "more severe and powerful response" if Israel continued to strike his country.

"The continuation of Zionist aggression will be met with a more severe and powerful response from the Iranian armed forces," Pezeshkian said.