US President Donald Trump warned Iran on Sunday that it would experience "the full strength" of the American military if it attacks the United States, reiterating that Washington "had nothing to do" with Israel's strikes on Tehran's nuclear and intelligence facilities.
Trump's latest remarks came after Iranians and Israelis woke to smoke and rubble on Sunday after the arch-rivals expanded their attacks overnight, with Israel striking Tehran's defence ministry, and Iran unleashing a deadly barrage of missiles.
While Trump had said he was aware of the Israeli operation before it started, he reiterated Sunday morning on his Truth Social platform that the United States "had nothing to do with the attack on Iran, tonight."
"If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the US Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before," he said in a post.
He added that "we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict!!!" On Friday, the US president urged Tehran to make a deal or face "even more brutal" attacks by Israel.
The third day of tit-for-tat attacks comes despite global calls for de-escalation, with Iran scrapping its latest nuclear talks with the United States, saying it could not negotiate while under fire from Israel.
Air raid sirens and explosions were heard by AFP journalists in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv early Sunday, as Israel's military said millions of Israelis were "running for shelter" around the country.
Israel's emergency services said at least eight people, including children, were killed in the overnight strikes, and around 200 were wounded.
In Iran's capital, AFP journalists heard a series of blasts at around 2:30 am.
Israel's military said it had struck Iran's defence ministry headquarters, "nuclear weapons project" infrastructure sites and other targets, including fuel tankers, just before 2:40 am on Sunday (2340 GMT Saturday).
The targeted sites, including the "headquarters of the SPND (Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research) nuclear project", advanced Iran's efforts to obtain a nuclear weapon, according to Israel.
Notably, Israel's operation, which began early Friday, targeted Iranian nuclear and military sites, killing dozens of people including top army commanders and atomic scientists, according to Tehran. Iran responded with retaliatory strikes, firing a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel.
On Saturday, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to hit "every target of the ayatollah regime", as Israeli drone strikes targeted the South Pars refinery in Iran's southern port city of Kangan, a first such attack on the country's oil and natural gas industry.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, meanwhile, warned the continued "aggression will be met with a more severe and powerful response."
Iran launched a second round of missiles against Israel late om Saturday as Israel’s military kept up attacks in Iran following earlier strikes that targeted nuclear and military sites. They also killed key leaders in the country’s governing theocracy.
Israel said hundreds of airstrikes over the past two days killed nine senior scientists and experts involved in Iran’s nuclear program, in addition to several top generals. Iran’s UN ambassador said 78 people were killed and more than 320 wounded.
Meanwhile, the US and Iran had been scheduled to hold their sixth round of indirect talks over Iran’s nuclear program on Sunday in Oman, but Oman's foreign minister said that the meeting was canceled after Israel's strikes on Iran.
During his first term, a landmark nuclear accord with Iran -- negotiated under former president Barack Obama -- was torpedoed in 2018 when Trump unilaterally withdrew the US and reimposed sanctions.
Tehran has consistently denied seeking to develop a nuclear weapon, but had been enriching uranium to 60 percent -- far above the 3.67 percent limit set by a 2015 agreement with major powers that the United States and Iran have since largely abandoned. However, that is still short of the 90-percent enrichment threshold needed for a nuclear warhead.
(With inputs from AFP and AP)