Iran warns of ‘heavy price’ after strikes on nuclear sites

Iran has issued a stern warning following attacks on key civilian nuclear facilities and steel factories, blaming Israel for the strikes and cautioning both Israel and the United States against further escalation. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would exact a “heavy price” in response to the attacks, signalling potential retaliation amid rising regional tensions. “Attack contradicts POTUS extended deadline for diplomacy. Iran will exact HEAVY price for Israeli crimes, ” Araqchi said, using an acronym for the US president. Separately, Iran’s military leadership warned that both Israel and the United States are “playing with fire” by targeting the country’s energy infrastructure, suggesting that continued actions could provoke a broader conflict. The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran confirmed that two facilities were struck: the Ardakan yellowcake production plant and the Khondab heavy-water facility. Despite the attacks, officials stated there was no leakage of radioactive material, alleviating immediate concerns of environmental contamination. A senior Iranian ‌told Reuters that Tehran ⁠had not decided whether to respond to the proposal the US sent this week after attacks on industrial and nuclear infrastructure on Friday. The official said Iran had expected its response to be delivered on Friday or Saturday, but said the continuing strikes while the US was seeking talks were “intolerable. ” The Israeli military said late Friday that Iran ​had launched missiles towards Israel. A 60-year-old man was killed in ⁠the Tel Aviv area, the ambulance service said. 12 US troops wounded in Iran strike Twelve US troops were wounded, ​two of them ‌seriously, in an Iranian military strike on Prince ​Sultan Air Base ​in Saudi Arabia, a ⁠US official told ​Reuters on Friday. The Wall Street Journal reported that several refuelling aircraft were damaged in the attack. The latest ​casualties add to the more than 300 US ​military service members ​who have been wounded since ‌the ⁠war against Iran started on February 28. Earlier on Friday, ​the US ​military ⁠said 273 of them had ​already returned to ​duty. ⁠ Thirteen US troops have been killed in ⁠the ​conflict.

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