Iran armed forces urge evacuation of residents in major Israeli cities
TEHRAN
Iran's armed forces chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi urged on Tuesday residents of the major Israeli cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv to evacuate, warning of imminent "punitive" attacks.
"Punitive operations will be carried out soon," Mousavi said in a video statement carried by state TV on the fifth day of the deadly confrontation triggered by Israeli air raid on Friday.
He added that previous attacks on Israel have so far only been for "deterrence" purposes.
Referring to Israel, Mousavi said that "residents of the occupied territories, especially Tel Aviv and Haifa, are strongly urged to leave these areas for the sake of their lives".
Mousavi told Israelis not to "fall victim" to "animalistic desires" of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which Tehran blames for the escalation.
Israel lifts air raid warning, including for nuclear town
The Israeli military warned of a fresh barrage of missiles from Iran, with air raid sirens activated in southern parts of the country including in a town home to a nuclear power plant.
The early evening alert was dropped after 16 minutes including in the town of Dimona where residents were advised "that it is now permitted to leave protected spaces", according to a military statement.
Israel has maintained a policy of ambiguity about its nuclear programme, and the Dimona plant officially focuses on research and energy provision.
The warning came hours after a previous salvo from Iran targeting coastal hub of Tel Aviv and the north.
The Israeli military said it had intercepted "most" of those projectiles.
There were no reports of strikes in Israel. Israeli media is subject to strict restrictions from the military censor.
Israel's sophisticated air defence systems have been largely successful in intercepting Iranian missiles and drones.
The Israeli army has warned of six separate waves of Iranian missiles since midnight Monday-Tuesday.
