Israel Claims Head Of IRGC’s Missile Division Killed; Trump Says Iran ‘Must Make A Deal, Before…’

<p>Israel launched a series of strikes on Iran&rsquo;s nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz early Friday, according to Iranian state television and the semi-official Fars news agency. The attacks reportedly continued for several hours after beginning before dawn.</p>
<p>State media also reported that separate Israeli strikes hit other locations, including Shiraz and Tabriz.</p>
<h3><strong>Israel Says Senior IRGC Commander Killed in Attack, Iran Yet To Confirm</strong></h3>
<p>The Israeli military claimed that its fighter jets targeted an underground command centre where senior officials from Iran&rsquo;s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had gathered in preparation for an assault on Israel. According to the Israeli statement, the airstrikes killed General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the IRGC&rsquo;s missile division, along with two other high-ranking officials.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Hajizadeh publicly declared his commitment to Israel&rsquo;s destruction at various events in recent years and played a central role in developing the Iranian regime&rsquo;s plan for Israel&rsquo;s destruction,&rdquo; the Israeli military said, as per news agency AP.</p>
<p>The statement further alleged that the IRGC commanders killed in the strike were also involved in a 2019 attack on Saudi Arabia, in what appeared to be an attempt to convey a message to Riyadh, which has voiced criticism over Israel&rsquo;s ongoing military actions.</p>
<p>While Israel has claimed responsibility for the killing of Gen. Hajizadeh, Iranian authorities have not issued any official confirmation. Speculation regarding his death had been circulating on social media platforms for some time.</p>
<p>Hajizadeh, a prominent figure within the IRGC, was widely regarded as the overseer of Iran&rsquo;s ballistic missile programme.</p>
<h3><strong>Trump Issues Blunt Warning to Iran: ‘Must Make A Deal, Before…'</strong></h3>
<p>US President Donald Trump weighed in on the developments, urging Iran to come to the negotiating table and warning of further consequences. In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump wrote:&nbsp;&ldquo;I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to &lsquo;just do it,&rsquo; but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn&rsquo;t get it done. I told them it would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come – And they know how to use it.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Certain Iranian hardliner&rsquo;s spoke bravely, but they didn&rsquo;t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse! There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All!&rdquo; he added.</p>
<p>The escalation marks a significant intensification in the decades-long hostility between the two nations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently identified Iran&rsquo;s nuclear ambitions, its incendiary rhetoric, and backing of anti-Israel proxies as existential threats.</p>
<p>Iran, for its part, has cited Israel&rsquo;s history of sabotage operations, including the targeting of scientists and infrastructure, as well as its military actions in Gaza, as justification for its enmity.</p>
<p>According to AP, analysts suggest the latest Israeli strikes, coupled with Donald Trump&rsquo;s re-election, may have created the momentum for the dramatic assault on Natanz and beyond.</p>