Israel targets Iran’s two air bases, explosion reported in military base in Kermanshah

ISRAEL'S military has said that it had struck two air bases – Hamadan and Tabriz – in Iran's west, dismantling one of them.

"Earlier today (Friday), the (Israeli military) struck the military bases belonging to the Iranian Airforce 'Hamadan' and 'Tabriz' throughout western Iran, the 'Tabriz' base was dismantled as a result of the strike," the Israeli military said in a statement.

Iranian state television reported online that air defenses were firing in the cities of Khorramabad, Kermanshah and Tabriz, signaling the start of what could be a new Israeli attack.

In another development, Iran's Esfahan and Natanz nuclear sites were also significantly damaged due to Israeli strikes on the two facilities.

According to news agency Reuters, an Israeli military official said nine senior nuclear Iranian scientists were killed in the strikes and it would take more than a few weeks for Iran to repair damage at the two sites.

Israel attacked over 150 targets in Iran with hundreds of munitions, the official added.

The conflict between the two arch foes started after Israel launched a wave of attacks on Iran’s nuclear and military facilities, prompting retaliation from Tehran.

The fiercest exchange of fire between Iran and Israel came amid ongoing talks between Tehran and Washington seeking to reach a deal on Iran's nuclear programme.

Before the Israeli strikes, they were set to hold a sixth round of negotiations in Oman on Sunday, but Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said: “It is still unclear what decision we will make for Sunday.”

Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, said that "Tehran will burn" if Iran fires more missiles at Israel.

In response, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday vowed to bring Israel "to ruin".

The Israeli air force "continues striking dozens of surface-to-surface missile launchers in Iran", the Israeli military said in a statement on Saturday.

Overnight, the air force "struck dozens of targets, including surface-to-air missile infrastructure, as part of the effort to damage the Iranian regime's aerial defence capabilities in the area of Tehran", it added.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had attacked dozens of targets in Israel.

Israel said dozens of missiles -- some intercepted -- had been fired in the latest salvos from Iran, with media images showing blown-out buildings in the city of Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv.