Massive Israeli strikes hit Tehran, smoke engulfs city skyline

Tehran witnessed a dramatic escalation in regional tensions as massive explosions rocked the Iranian capital, sending plumes of thick smoke into the sky.

The strikes, attributed to Israel, mark a significant intensification of military actions amid growing concerns over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Latest footage broadcast on Iran’s state-run Press TV showed dense clouds of smoke billowing from what appeared to be a densely populated area in Tehran.

Reports suggest the blasts originated from targeted missile attacks on security-related sites. According to Iran International, Israeli forces struck key facilities associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and police intelligence departments.

An Israeli military spokesperson, quoted by Al Jazeera, confirmed that the attacks aimed at command centers of the IRGC within Tehran.

This comes on the heels of coordinated US airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan—carried out just a day prior.

These precision strikes have added a new dimension to the already volatile situation in the Middle East. “Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier,” US President Donald Trump warned following the strikes.

Iran has strongly condemned the actions. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the US airstrikes a “brutal military aggression” and described them as “a grave and unprecedented violation of the fundamental principles of the UN Charter and international law.”

He added, “My country has come under direct attack. In this moment, diplomacy alone is no longer sufficient; our priority must now be self-defence.”

In response to the dual strikes by Israel and the United States, Araghchi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday to seek diplomatic and strategic support for Iran amid the growing crisis.