Israel-Iran air strikes continue; Trump to decide on U.S. role within two weeks

Air strikes between Israel and Iran entered their second week on Friday, with Israel warning residents of a village in northern Iran to evacuate as it prepares strikes on nearby "military infrastructure."

The White House said U.S. President Donald Trump will decide within the next two weeks whether to get involved on Israel's side.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with the Kan public broadcaster on Thursday night that Israel has destroyed over half of Iran's missile launchers.

On Thursday, Israel bombed nuclear targets in Iran, and Iran fired missiles and drones at Israel after hitting an Israeli hospital overnight.

Israeli military spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin accused Iran of deliberately targeting civilians in the hospital attack by using a missile that scattered smaller bombs over a wide area. It was the first reported use of cluster munitions in the seven-day conflict.

"That is state-sponsored terror and a blatant violation of international law," Defrin said at a press briefing.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had targeted Israeli military and intelligence headquarters near the hospital. An Israeli military official denied the presence of military targets nearby.

Israel attacked the special forces headquarters of Iran's internal security apparatus in Tehran in the past 24 hours, Defrin said. Earlier, Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that the military had been instructed to intensify strikes on strategically important targets in Tehran.

As darkness fell on Thursday evening, Iranian media reported that air defenses were engaging "hostile targets" in northern Tehran.

The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Mohammad Eslami, called on the International Atomic Energy Agency to immediately end its "inaction" and condemn Israeli attacks on the Arak heavy water research reactor facility in Khondab County, Markazi Province, early on Thursday, according to the Fars News Agency.

The IRGC on Thursday appointed Majid Khademi as the new head of its intelligence organization, Fars reported.

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Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem reaffirmed on Thursday the group's alignment with Iran, stating that Hezbollah will "act as it deems suitable" in confronting what he described as "joint American-Israeli aggression" against Iran.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani on Thursday directed relevant authorities to continue monitoring potential radiation risks amid the Israel-Iran conflict.

Al-Sudani's directive came during a meeting with the Central Emergency Operations Room for Radiological and Nuclear Incidents to assess the country's readiness to respond to potential emergencies, according to a statement from his media office.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Thursday renewed Egypt's call to halt the ongoing military escalation between Israel and Iran and to advance a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, describing negotiations as the only path to regional stability, during a phone call with the European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas.

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Friday at Iran's request. Additionally, the foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain plan to hold nuclear talks with their Iranian counterpart on Friday in Geneva, aimed at persuading Iran to firmly guarantee that its nuclear program will be used solely for civilian purposes, a German diplomatic source told Reuters.

(With input from agencies)