Iran and Israel Target Strategic Sites as Conflict Enters Fifth Day
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Tuesday that it had targeted “multiple missile and UAV sites in western Iran,” including surface-to-surface missile systems, drone depots, and air defense platforms.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Iran claimed on Tuesday it had destroyed “strategic positions” in Israel using advanced drones, as intense cross-border attacks between the two regional rivals continued for a fifth consecutive day, according to AFP.
General Kioumars Heidari, commander of the Iranian army's ground forces, announced on state television that Iranian drones “equipped with precise destruction and targeting capabilities” had struck key locations in Tel Aviv and Haifa. He described the operation as part of an ongoing response to Israel’s unprecedented aerial bombardment campaign, launched last Friday.
Meanwhile, explosions were reported in Iran’s northwestern city of Tabriz on Tuesday morning. According to the Ham Mihan newspaper, two blasts occurred five minutes apart, and local media, including Mehr News Agency, shared video footage showing thick smoke billowing over the city. Tabriz, located over 600 kilometers from Tehran, hosts a major air force base recently targeted by Israeli forces.
In Tehran, the aftermath of a deadly Israeli airstrike on the headquarters of Iran’s state television became clearer. The broadcaster confirmed Tuesday that three employees were killed in Monday’s attack and others were injured, without providing further details.
Despite growing international appeals for restraint, both sides continue to escalate militarily. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Tuesday that it had targeted “multiple missile and UAV sites in western Iran,” including surface-to-surface missile systems, drone depots, and air defense platforms. The army released footage showing missile launchers erupting in flames.
Soon after, sirens wailed across central Israel. AFP journalists in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv reported hearing loud booms, while the IDF confirmed that missiles had been launched from Iran. Citizens were briefly urged to take shelter, and shrapnel was later found in Tel Aviv, causing damage but no casualties, according to police.
Israeli emergency services responded to fires ignited by falling debris, as the military lifted its shelter advisory roughly 20 minutes after the initial alert.
U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly left the G7 summit in Canada on Monday, citing urgent matters back in Washington. Shortly after, he issued an alarming message on his Truth Social platform: “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”
The U.S. has remained officially non-committal regarding direct involvement in the conflict. The White House said U.S. forces are in a “defensive posture,” though Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth confirmed that the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz had been rerouted from Southeast Asia to the Middle East.
Meanwhile, earlier, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said a missile had lightly damaged a building used by the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv. The State Department has since issued a travel warning to American citizens, urging them to avoid Israel.
As the missile exchanges intensify, casualty figures continue to rise. Israeli authorities report that at least 24 people have been killed and hundreds more injured. Iran, which on Sunday said Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people—including top military officials, nuclear scientists, and civilians—has not updated its figures since.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards vowed that their missile response would continue “without interruption until dawn.” Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had declared that Israel was eliminating Iran’s military leadership “one after the other.”
“We are changing the face of the Middle East, and that can lead to radical changes inside Iran itself,” Netanyahu said.
The current flare-up has derailed already fragile nuclear talks and deepened fears of a broader war involving regional and global powers. Despite past signals of interest in diplomacy, President Trump warned Tehran it was running out of time. “Iran is not winning this war,” he said earlier this week. “They should talk—immediately—before it’s too late.”
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