Now, Israel has intensified its military campaign against Iran. They opened with these predawn strikes and then they were going to do more than 100 strikes, including on nuclear sites, on missile sites. The bombardment continues to take an unimaginably heavy toll. Israel asserts that it has killed senior military commanders and scientists working on Iran’s military advancements. The conflict, characterized by rising aggressions, has made headlines due to its potential consequences for regional peace and security.
According to Israeli military estimates, the strikes eliminated about 120 Iranian SST missile launchers. With one substantial decision, its overall Iranian missile force—estimated at approximately 1,000 missiles—was reduced by one-third. Israel asserted that it has achieved “total air superiority in the skies over Tehran,” enabling it to conduct extensive operations over the Iranian capital. The attacks escalated over the weekend. On Saturday night, Israel bombed 80 places in Teheran including the Iranian Ministry of Defence.
Iran has since fired missiles in counterattack. They punched deep into Israel’s rear areas, striking at the heart of Israel’s big cities—Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Rehovot. The continued back and forth of fire has led to fears about the risk of escalating war between the two countries.
State media has provided coverage, confirming that the strikes targeted military bases in Bid Kaneh, Kermanshah, and Parchin. Furthermore, airports in Mashhad, Mehrabad and Tabriz were attacked. They have since focused attacks on energy infrastructure. In particular, they targeted the gas processing plants at South Pars, which is the globe’s largest natural gas field. Storage tanks in Rey and a fuel depot in Shahran were attacked. This led to some spectacular fireballs, a few of which were caught on camera.
The humanitarian cost of the conflict has been catastrophic. Yesterday, Iran’s health ministry reported a shocking toll of 224 deaths from the violence. In just over a year’s time, an additional 1,277 people have been injured in these incidents. Israeli officials claimed that their operations have been responsible for civilian 23 deaths and almost 60 serious civilian injuries. Many residential buildings were hit in the attacks, including those associated with military leaders. Consequently, several senior members of Iran’s military command have died.
Israel’s military operation has specifically targeted Iran’s nuclear capabilities. These strikes have targeted key nuclear weapon building infrastructure as well, including uranium enrichment facilities in Natanz and Fordow. There is the recent attack on Iran’s uranium conversion facility at Isfahan. In a subsequent investigation, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that four buildings at Isfahan had been damaged. Thankfully, there was no damage done at the deeply buried Fordow site. Satellite imagery revealed significant damage to the electrical substation that powers the Natanz facility and the above-ground pilot fuel enrichment plant.