Khamenei says Israel won't escape unscathed in televised address

Iranian media are reporting intense air defense activity in the vicinity of Pasteur Square in Tehran, near the official residence of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the presidential office.

The IRGC's Tasnim News says "all Israeli projectiles have been successfully shot down by Iranian air defenses in central and southern Tehran."

Israel may be seeking to uproot the Islamic Republic with its military campaign, CNN reported citing two US officials and another source familiar with the intelligence.

The source was cited by CNN as saying there was no clear proof regime change was the primary goal of the Israeli attack, but the US officials said Israel may see it as an opportunity to do so.

It was unclear if the Trump administration would support such a move, CNN cited the source as saying.

"Absolutely, 100%. I support them completely. They have the right to defend themselves," Oklahoma Republican Markwayne Mullin told Iran International.

"People said, 'Well, Iran didn’t attack them.' Well, actually, Iran has been attacking them for many years through their sponsorship of terror—through Hamas, through the Houthis, and through Hezbollah."

Asked if he backed regime change in Iran, Senator Mullin demurred.

"That’s not up to us. That is up to the Iranian people. That’s a decision they have to make. What we’re trying to do is make sure they never get a nuclear weapon. As far as regime change goes, let the Iranians pick that fight."

The Israeli military's head of operations Major General Oded Basiuk on Friday praised intelligence gathering on Iran's "nuclear program, the scientists, the sites, and the military leadership."

Iran was due to respond, he added, and defending the home front and military was key.

"One of the most important things now is the civilian and military home front, because the enemy’s response will come, and we must minimize the damage, maintain functional continuity, and preserve our offensive capabilities.”

Israel's attack on Iran was eight months in the making and US President Donald Trump opposed the campaign in public while backing it in private, Axios reported citing two Israeli officials.

"We had a clear U.S. green light," Axios quoted one of the officials as saying.

Axios reported Israel's military assessed Iran could race to a nuclear bomb more quickly than previously thought if it so chose and that an underground uranium enrichment facility impervious even to US bombers was due to come online in weeks.

Citing Israeli officials, Axios reported that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu coordinated the strike plans in a phone call on Monday.

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