According to Al Jazeera, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accuses Israeli leadership of hiding in Tel Aviv bunkers amid escalating conflict, calling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “a war criminal” for provoking war to block diplomacy.
In a Telegram post, Araghchi said Israel’s leaders are “hiding in Tel Aviv bunkers” while Iran’s armed forces continue retaliations to protect their people.
The remarks come as Iran intensifies missile attacks on Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv, where concerns over bunker safety have surged. Recent Iranian ballistic missile strikes have breached reinforced shelters in Israeli residential buildings, killing civilians inside.
One missile penetrated a high-rise apartment block in Petah Tikva, near Tel Aviv, detonating inside a reinforced concrete bunker and killing at least two people sheltering there.
This incident has shaken Israelis’ confidence in their protective bunkers, which have long been a key part of civil defense. The Israel Hayom newspaper reported that around 40% of Tel Aviv residents live in buildings without shelters meeting modern safety standards. Many older buildings lack proper protective infrastructure, and neighbors have reportedly denied access to their shelters amid overcrowding.
The Iranian army has declared that “shelters are no longer safe” and urged Israeli civilians to evacuate all territories, intensifying fears and public anger over the shelter crisis.
Israel’s 1951 Civil Defence Law mandates bomb shelters in residential and commercial buildings, but the current missile threat has exposed serious vulnerabilities.
Araghchi added that a phone call from Washington to Netanyahu could “silence” the Israeli prime minister and pave the way for diplomacy, emphasizing that Iran does not seek further bloodshed but will defend its land “to the last drop of blood.”
As missile barrages continue, the safety of civilians in bunkers remains a critical concern amid the intensifying Israel-Iran conflict. ..READ THE FULL ARTICLE/CONTENT HERE
