Iran arrests five people for 'collaborating with Israel'

An Israeli airstrike on Saturday morning hit a site near the city of Asadabad in Iran’s western Hamadan province, killing two emergency workers and wounding five others, Iranian officials said.

Hamzeh Amraei, a senior local official, said the victims were part of an emergency response team caught in the strike.

Israel’s N12 News earlier reported the strike targeted ballistic missile launchers in the area believed to pose a threat to Israel.

The deputy political and security governor of Hamadan told Tasnim News Agency that five people were killed in the attack. He added there have been no reports of further strikes on Noje Airbase or Sobashi radar installations.

“The situation in Iran and Israel has seriously deteriorated, and at such a delicate moment I feel compelled to strongly renew an appeal to responsibility and reason. The commitment to building a safer world, free from the nuclear threat, must continue through respectful engagement and sincere dialogue,” Pope Leo on Saturday.

Kazem Alamdari, an Iranian sociologist and author, told Iran International that a portion of Iranian society has expressed satisfaction over the deaths of certain senior government officials, viewing them as perpetrators of state violence.

“There is a segment of society that feels a sense of relief over the killing of officials who have committed crimes,” Alamdari said.

“In contrast, others believe that the country is under foreign attack and that, in such circumstances, one must stand in defense of the homeland and its people.”

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said on Saturday that Iran’s attacks on Israel also endanger American citizens, adding that around 700,000 US nationals live in the country.

“Iran isn’t just attacking Israel but your fellow Americans who live here,” he posted on X, calling the American presence in Israel “equivalent to a full House District.”