JERUSALEM, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Israel said on Tuesday it had launched another wave of airstrikes in Iran and was determined to press ahead with its military campaign, now in its fifth day.
Israeli military spokesman Effie Defrin said Iranian forces had been pushed toward the center of the country as a result of sustained Israeli airstrikes.
"Dozens of Israeli Air Force aircraft are continuously operating in the skies over Isfahan, detecting threats in real time and striking them," he told reporters.
Defrin said around 60 Israeli fighter jets had carried out a major strike earlier on Tuesday, targeting 12 underground missile launch sites in the Tehran area.
Earlier in the day, the military said over 70 Iranian aerial defense missile batteries and advanced detection radars had been destroyed in five waves of strikes carried out over recent days. These systems, according to the military, were designed to intercept Israeli aircraft and obstruct operations.
The air force's goal was to "diminish Iran's air defense capabilities and establish aerial superiority," the statement said, adding that the strikes "paved the way to Tehran and additional targets deep within Iran."
Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have reportedly signaled a desire to halt the fighting. Citing Israeli officials, state-owned Kan television reported that Israel received an official message from Washington indicating Iran is interested in ending the strikes and returning to negotiations with the United States.
However, Israeli leaders remained united in rejecting a halt in operations. Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir visited the site of an Iranian missile attack in the Israeli city of Bat Yam and held a situational assessment with senior defense officials.
"We are determined to complete our missions, and we will deliver on everything we've been tasked to do," Zamir said in a statement. "We are not stopping now."
His comments echoed those of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said on Monday that the campaign would continue until Iran's ability to threaten Israel had been eliminated and its nuclear program had been "thwarted."
Meanwhile, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Abdolrahim Mousavi presented plans for "punitive operations" against Israel and vowed to step up counterattacks against Israel, the Iranian Tasnim news agency reported.
Shortly later, sirens were heard in Haifa, the largest city on Israel's northern coast, and other cities in the north.
The Israeli army said a new missile attack from Iran triggered the sirens. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The aerial conflict, sparked by Israel's surprise airstrikes across Iran on June 13, has killed at least 244 people in Iran and 24 in Israel, according to official figures. ■
