LEILA FADEL, HOST:
President Trump is being mysterious about whether he plans to join Israel's war on Iran. Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, told our correspondent, Daniel Estrin, in an interview that he welcomes international support and that Israel has a dialogue with the U.S.
PRESIDENT ISAAC HERZOG: It's a decision that needs to be taken by the president and his team.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
While we wait to learn about that decision, the war continues. Overnight, Israel says its air force struck the Iraq nuclear reactor in Iran. Israel is expanding its targets to Iranian government sites, and Iran has launched more missiles at Israel, striking a major hospital and residential buildings.
FADEL: NPR's Daniel Estrin joins us now from one site hit this morning in central Israel. Good morning, Daniel.
DANIEL ESTRIN, BYLINE: Good morning, Leila.
FADEL: I can hear a lot of bustling around you. Where are you right now?
ESTRIN: I'm in Holon. It's a suburb of Tel Aviv, and I'm outside the multistory apartment building that authorities say was the worst hit site by Iranian missiles early this morning. They say several people were badly injured here. I'm looking at concrete, a mix of exposed rebar, car windows shattered. And also, in southern Israel, the biggest hospital there was hit by Iranian missiles. No serious injuries were reported. By the way, Iranian state media says Israel also struck a hospital in Iran earlier this week. But here, residents are very shaken this morning. I spoke to some who said dust filled the bunker that they were in through the windows that blew open from the blast.
FADEL: And you mentioned the hospital which was hit in southern Israel. Tell us more about what Israel hit overnight in Iran.
ESTRIN: Well, one of the main targets, according to Israel, was the Iraq nuclear reactor. Now, Israeli military officials say the site was never operational, but they say it could be activated if Iranian leaders decide to do so. But we don't have clear reports from the ground in Iran, Leila. Iran blocked internet access overnight, and Iran does not give details about most Israeli strikes. I should also say Israeli officials, while they acknowledge that military sites have been hit by Iran, they issue gag orders on reporting exactly which ones. But Israel does say that it is now expanding its targets to include Iranian government sites in Tehran. And they say that will be to, quote, "destabilize" the regime.
FADEL: Interesting. So as you point out, for all the reasons that you just said, we don't know a lot about what's happening inside Iran. But, Daniel, you did speak to the president of Israel, as we mentioned earlier. Is regime change an official goal of Israel's offensive in Iran?
ESTRIN: Well, when I sat down with Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, yesterday, he said it would be up to the people of Iran to rise up against the regime, but he said that could be a secondary result of Israel's attacks. He says Israel's main goal is to destroy Iran's nuclear program.
FADEL: Now, President Trump says he hasn't yet decided to attack Iran's nuclear program. What does Israel want?
ESTRIN: Well, here's what President Herzog told me about that yesterday.
HERZOG: We would welcome anything that helps eradicate the Iranian nuclear program completely, including the main two sites at Fordo and Natanz. But as we said, you know, we are doing it alone, and we hope that there will be further support by other nations.
ESTRIN: I spoke to one Israeli man, Eli Mashiah (ph), who ran down to his bomb shelter in the building that took a direct hit here, and he said, Israel needs U.S. help to destroy the nuclear program.
ELI MASHIAH: Israel couldn't do it. Just Trump. B-52, boom, boom.
ESTRIN: The U.S. does have B-52 war planes and the bombs needed to penetrate Iran's most fortified nuclear site, Fordo. So many Israelis are hoping for that this morning, that Trump agrees to join the war.
FADEL: NPR's Daniel Estrin reporting from the site of an Iranian missile attack in Central Israel. Thank you, Daniel.
ESTRIN: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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