A Croatian diplomat and his wife have received minor injuries during ballistic missile strikes on Tel Aviv

Croatia's consul in Israel and his wife were injured during Iran's ballistic missile strikes on Tel Aviv, Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman has said.

The minister confirmed the incident in a post on X, stating that the injuries sustained by the diplomat and his spouse were "minor, and they are not in any life-threatening condition."

"I am shaken by the news that our consul and his wife were injured in the attack on Tel Aviv. The building they live in was hit," Grlic Radman wrote.

"We strongly condemn attacks on civilians and diplomatic facilities. We call for immediate de-escalation and restraint," the minister added.

Israel launched a major attack on Iran early on Friday, striking nuclear facilities and military installations across the country. Multiple senior Iranian military officers and high-profile nuclear scientists were killed in targeted assassinations. According to official Iranian estimates, at least 78 people perished in the Israeli strikes, and over 300 were injured.

West Jerusalem has claimed the attack, dubbed Operation Rising Lion, was a preemptive measure aimed at preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear bomb. Iran, however, has repeatedly denied harboring any plans to produce such a device and insisted its nuclear program serves only civilian purposes.

Tehran retaliated with a major ballistic missile and kamikaze drone barrage fired at Israel, pledging to continue strikes for as long as it deems necessary. According to Israel, the strikes inflicted considerable material damage, killing at least three and leaving more than 150 injured.

The escalation comes after five rounds of US-Iranian talks on the country's nuclear program that have stalled and failed to produce any breakthrough. Following the attack, Tehran said the continuation of dialogue with the US was "meaningless," while the host country, Oman, confirmed that the sixth round of talks, originally scheduled for Sunday, had been called off.

(RT.com)