The chief commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army Major General Amir Hatami has pledged unwavering defense of Iran’s independence and territorial integrity in the face of Israeli assaults, saying the Army will strike hard at Israel in response to its attacks.

In a message released on Sunday, he said the Army has already taken effective steps in response to the Israeli regime’s aggression and will continue to deliver “severe blows” to the occupying regime “with full readiness.”

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) meanwhile also warned Sunday that Iran’s military response will escalate if Israeli hostilities persist.

The IRGC said in a statement on Sunday that it had targeted military fuel infrastructure of the Israeli regime in retaliation for the regime’s strikes.

Early on June 13, Israel began rounds of strikes on Iran, including the capital. In a major escalation, Tel Aviv also reportedly bombed residential buildings in and near Tehran and assassinated several high-ranking military officials.

Following the assault, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said the Israeli regime had sealed a “bitter and painful” fate for itself.

In response to the Israeli attack, the IRGC launched a large-scale drone and missile operation targeting Israeli fighter jet fuel production facilities and energy supply centers, said the statement.

Fatemeh Mohajerani, spokesperson for the Iranian government, said Sunday that at least 30 women and children have been killed in recent Israeli attacks.

“We are unequivocally in a state of war.”

Mohajerani emphasized that the government will hold daily briefings under the title “Responding to the People” to provide regular updates on the situation.

She added: “Subways, schools, and mosques will remain open 24 hours a day starting tonight,” and assured the public that “the government has the situation under control.”

Israel launched its latest offensive three days ago. So far, the attacks have  claimed the lives of Iran’s highest-ranking military officer, the head of its elite Revolutionary Guards Corps and its air force and a former national security chief.

Israel responds

Israeli Defense Force Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Sunday at a press conference that “challenging days are ahead. There will be more launches and impacts in the coming days.”

He also said the Israeli Air Force is “not stopping striking for a moment.”

“Even at this hour, we are striking dozens of targets in Tehran. We are deepening the damage to [Tehran’s] nuclear program and military capabilities, to disrupt and reduce the risk to the home front,” he says.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has declared the Kingdom’s firm support for the Iranian people following recent Israeli strikes, which claimed Iranian lives and heightened regional tensions.

In a phone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, the Crown Prince offered condolences and strongly denounced the attacks, stating, “Saudi Arabia stands with its brothers in Iran and will spare no effort to support them.”

He further emphasized that the entire Islamic world was united in backing Iran during this critical time.

Bin Salman underscored Riyadh’s ongoing diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the crisis, warning that Israel’s actions appear aimed at provoking broader conflict and paving the way for potential U.S. involvement.

He called for a “wise and measured response” from Tehran to deny Israel the opportunity to expand the confrontation.

Pezeshkian, while thanking Saudi Arabia for its support and assistance during the Hajj pilgrimage, accused Israel of consistently undermining regional peace. He stressed the importance of Islamic unity in confronting what he described as systematic crimes by the Israeli regime, particularly in Gaza.

Pezeshkian noted that Saudi Arabia, given its religious and geopolitical stature, could play a vital role in strengthening solidarity among Muslim nations and defending the rights of oppressed Muslims across the region.

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said on Sunday that they targeted Israel in coordination with Iran, the first time an Iran-aligned group has publicly announced joint cooperation on attacks with Tehran, Reuters reported.

The Yemeni group targeted central Israel’s Jaffa with several ballistic missiles in the last 24 hours, military spokesperson Yehya Sarea said in a televised address.

“Triumphing for the oppressed Palestinian and Iranian peoples…This operation was coordinated with the operations carried out by the Iranian army against the criminal Israeli enemy,” he added.

The Israeli military earlier said sirens were activated in several areas in the country following missile launches from Iran and Yemen.

Israel and Iran continued to exchange missile attacks since Israel launched its biggest-ever military strike against its longstanding enemy on Friday, read the report.

On the same day Israel launched its attack on Iran, Israel said a missile that was launched from Yemen towards Israel fell in Hebron in the occupied West Bank. The Yemeni group however did not claim responsibility for the missile launch.

The Houthis have been launching attacks against Israel, most of which have been intercepted, in what they say is support for Palestinians in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war there since Hamas’s October 7 2023 attack on Israel, Reuters reported.

Israel has carried out a series of retaliatory strikes.

The U.S. also launched intensified strikes against the Houthis this year, before President Donald Trump halted the offensive after the Houthis agreed to stop attacks on American ships.