TEL AVIV: Tensions escalated further on Tuesday as Israel announced it had targeted military installations inside Iran, claiming the killing of a high-ranking Iranian commander in recent strikes. In response, Tehran launched missile attacks that struck the Mossad headquarters in Tel Aviv, marking the fifth consecutive day of severe hostilities between the two nations.
Early in the morning, residents of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem reported hearing loud explosions amid air raid sirens blaring across several regions of Israel. The missile attacks from Iran had previously hit Israeli territories, prompting a series of retaliatory strikes. Iran claimed to have used drones to inflict damage on strategic Israeli targets, including locations in Tel Aviv and Haifa. State media quoted General Kioumars Heidari, head of Iran’s ground forces, as saying that various types of precise attack drones successfully targeted key positions of Israel’s military infrastructure.
In response, Israel’s air force indicated it was actively engaging threats to neutralize incoming projectiles. About twenty minutes after the initial alerts, authorities advised residents that it was safe to leave shelters, although debris and damage were reported in Tel Aviv. Emergency services responded to fires caused by the strikes.
The Israeli military announced it had conducted an overnight operation killing senior Iranian military official Ali Shamdani in Tehran, who had recently succeeded Golam Ali Rashid—himself eliminated in an earlier Israeli attack. Additionally, Israel claimed to have struck multiple missile and drone launch sites across western Iran, destroying infrastructure, storage facilities, and launchers, with footage showing explosions at several of these sites.
Despite growing international calls for de-escalation, both Israel and Iran have maintained their aggressive posture, with hostilities intensifying since the initial Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities last Friday. The conflict shows no signs of abating as both sides continue their offensive exchanges.
