Iran says Israel killed 3 more nuclear scientists, total now 9

TEHRAN: Israel has killed three more Iranian nuclear scientists, state television reported Saturday, bringing to nine the overall number slain in Israel’s attack on the Islamic republic.

“Three of the country’s nuclear scientists — Ali Bekaei Karimi, Mansour Asgari, and Saeed Borji — were martyred during the Zionist regime’s terrorist attacks,” the broadcaster said. Iranian media had said earlier that six others were killed in the Israeli attack.

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The Air Defence Force of Iran’s Army has also claimed it successfully shot down two Israeli F-35 fighter jets along with a large number of Israeli micro air vehicles (MAVs).

The status of the pilots remains unknown and is under investigation, according to Iranian state-run news agency IRNA.

In a major retaliation to recent Israeli airstrikes on Tehran and other Iranian cities, the Iranian Army stated it had launched successful attacks on Israeli targets within the occupied Israeli territories early Saturday.

According to the Army, Arash suicide drones were used to penetrate deep into Israeli territory, striking several key positions.

Meanwhile, Israeli media confirmed that Iran had launched a fifth wave of missile attacks, targeting areas such as Tiberias, the occupied Golan Heights, and Lower Galilee.

These developments come after Israel reportedly carried out overnight strikes on Friday in and around Tehran, including residential areas, marking a sharp escalation in hostilities.