Israel preparing for lengthy war against Iran

By Sam Mednick,  TEL AVIV, Israel

Israel ‘s military said Saturday it was preparing for the possibility of a lengthy war, while Iran’s foreign minister warned that U.S. military involvement in it “would be very, very dangerous for everyone.”

The prospect of a wider war threatened, too. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said they would resume attacks on U.S. vessels and warships in the Red Sea if the Trump administration joins Israel’s military campaign. 

The Houthis paused such attacks in May under a deal with the U.S.

The U.S. ambassador to Israel announced the U.S. has begun “assisted departure flights,” the first such flights from Israel since the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza.

Israel’s military said it struck an Iranian nuclear research facility overnight and killed three senior Iranian commanders in targeted attacks as it pursued its goal to destroy Iran’s nuclear program. 

Smoke rose near a mountain in Isfahan, where the province’s deputy governor for security affairs, Akbar Salehi, confirmed Israeli strikes damaged the facility.

The target was a centrifuge production site, Israel’s military said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed the attack.

Iran again launched drones and missiles at Israel but there were no reports of significant damage. 

An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity under army guidelines to brief reporters, estimated that Israel’s military has taken out more than 50% of Iran’s launchers.

“We’re making it harder for them to fire toward Israel,” he said.

The Israeli military’s chief spokesman, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, later said Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir told the army to prepare for a “prolonged campaign.”