Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said Friday that Israel will “intensify and expand” its military campaign against Iran, as Iranian forces warned civilians near U.S. military positions to evacuate ahead of potential strikes.
The dueling warnings followed a new Iranian missile barrage early Friday, which Israel said its defense systems intercepted over central and southern parts of the country.
“The prime minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] and I warned the Iranian terror regime to stop the missile fire toward the civilian population in Israel,” Katz said in a statement reported by Israeli media.
“Despite the warnings, the fire continues, and therefore IDF strikes in Iran will intensify and expand to additional targets and domains that assist the regime in building and operating weapons against Israeli civilians,” he added.
Katz said Iran would “pay heavy and increasing prices” for the attacks.
Escalating threats between Israel and Iran
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued its own warning Friday morning, urging civilians near U.S. military positions in the region to leave.
The statement, reported by Iranian state media, accused the U.S. and Israel of operating from civilian areas and said Iranian forces would target them “wherever we find them.”
“Since it is our duty to eliminate the terrorist forces of the U.S. and the usurping (Zionist) regime, who recklessly kill Iranian civilians and assassinate individuals, wherever we find them, we recommend that you urgently leave the locations of the American forces to avoid any harm coming to you,” the statement read.
The escalation comes as President Donald Trump said he would delay strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure until April 6.
“Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the fake news media, and others, they are going very well,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Cease-fire talks and competing proposals
The extension follows reports that Washington sent a 15-point cease-fire proposal to Iran via Pakistan, which Iranian state media said was rejected.
Tehran has floated its own proposal, calling for war reparations and sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz—a critical passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil passes.
In an interview Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said messages were being exchanged but stopped short of calling them negotiations.
“I state firmly that there has been no negotiation or dialogue with the American side,” he said.
“However, in recent days, the American side has begun sending various messages through different intermediaries, messages being conveyed through our friendly countries, and us responding by stating our positions or issuing the necessary warnings, is not called negotiation or dialogue, it is simply an exchange of messages through our friends.”
Trump, speaking at a Cabinet meeting Thursday, said Iran is pushing to make a deal.
“They’re begging to make a deal, and anybody that saw what was happening over there would understand why they want to make a deal,” he said.
Israel said Friday it had struck an Iranian missile and sea mine production facility used for “planning, development, assembly, and storage of advanced missiles” targeting maritime infrastructure.
Israel says it killed Iran navy chief
The Israeli military also said it killed IRGC Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri in a strike Thursday. According to the IDF, Tangsiri played a central role in efforts to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which has remained closed since the war began, driving volatility in energy markets. Iran has yet to confirm the death of the commander.
International pressure is mounting on both the U.S. and Iran to come to an agreement to end the war.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in France to attend a G7 foreign ministers meeting focused on the conflict and the Strait of Hormuz, but he dismissed suggestions that U.S. policy would be shaped by allies.
“I’m not there to make them happy,” Rubio said, speaking to reporters Thursday ahead of the meeting. “For all the countries who care about international law, they should be doing something about it.”
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