Hostilities rise, Israel expands Iran strikes

Israel attacked a major onshore refinery of Iran's giant South Pars gas field in the Persian Gulf on Saturday, causing a powerful explosion and fire as both sides engaged in rapidly escalating conflict with barrages of ballistic missiles, kamikaze drones and bomber aircraft attacks.

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Israel threatened to strike "every target of the ayatollah regime" in Iran, whose president warned of a severe response if the Israeli attacks continue.

The two sides continued to exchange fire a day after Israel unleashed an unprecedented aerial bombing campaign, which scuppered plans for a new round of Iran-US nuclear talks Sunday.

The Israeli strikes since Friday hit military and nuclear sites in Iran, and according to officials killed dozens, including top army and Revolutionary Guards commanders as well as civilians.

Iran responded with barrages of drones and missiles fired at Israel overnight.

Israel then targeted Iran's air defence capabilities, pressing on with a wave of massive attacks that also hit Iranian nuclear and military facilities, and extended this to onshore refineries on Saturday.

The attack on an onshore refinery at Phase 14 of Iran's giant South Pars gas field in the Persian Gulf caused a powerful explosion and fire on Saturday evening, the semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported, adding that a separate fire also broke out at the Fajr Jam gas refinery, which processes gas from South Pars as well as the Nar and Kangan fields and is one of Iran's largest refineries.