Israel and US conduct extensive military strikes in Iran

US President Donald Trump’s 48-hour ultimatum for Tehran is set to expire soon. A new wave of attacks has been launched against Iran by Israel and the US.

Tehran has responded with retaliatory strikes on its Gulf neighbors, targeting power plants in Israel as well as other regional countries if its own power plants are targeted. The Israeli military reported that it had begun a wide-scale wave of strikes on infrastructure targets in Tehran.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Admiral Brad Cooper stated that Iran was launching missiles and drones from populated areas, suggesting those areas would be targeted. However, no proof was provided to support this claim.

The US military targeted a turbine engine production site in north-central Iran’s Qom province used for drone and aircraft components linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Al Jazeera Arabic’s correspondent in Tehran reported that the size and volume of the explosions in the Iranian capital were “unprecedented”.

Iranian air defense systems were activated in response to US-Israeli drones hovering over the city. Reports emerged of strikes on homes in Tabriz city, resulting in at least six fatalities. A strike on a residential building in Khorramabad killed one child and wounded several people.

Reports also surfaced of explosions in other cities, including Bandar Abbas, Isfahan, Karaj, and Ahvaz. The Iranian Red Crescent Society reported that over 80,000 civilian units had been hit, with some fully demolished.

In Israel, Iranian missile strikes continued overnight, with reports of falling shrapnel across several locations. Al Jazeera’s correspondent in the occupied West Bank reported on the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Iran.

The latest wave of strikes follows a 48-hour ultimatum given by US President Donald Trump for Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz to all ships. Tehran has vowed to close the strait, which carries one-fifth of global oil, in retaliation. The IRGC stated that it would target power plants in areas supplying electricity to US bases and other economic infrastructures if the US followed through on its threat.

The conflict has resulted in over 1,500 civilian fatalities in Iran, according to the Ministry of Health.

Source: Al Jazeera