A deadly escalation in hostilities between Israel and Iran has left at least 10 people dead in Israel and 128 in Iran, following two consecutive nights of mutual airstrikes. The violence marks one of the most intense direct confrontations between the regional rivals in recent years.
In Israel, Iranian missile attacks struck homes in northern and central regions. A 10-storey residential building in Bat Yam was hit in the early hours of Sunday, killing six people, including two children aged 10 and eight. Four more were killed in the northern Arab town of Tamra. More than 100 others sustained injuries.
Rescue teams worked amid blazing debris and thick smoke. “Some were crying and holding their family members. I saw fear in their eyes,” said rescue paramedic Ori Lazarovich. Residents, left displaced and devastated, mourned the destruction of homes they had lived in for decades.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the affected sites and vowed retaliation. “Iran will pay a very heavy price for the premeditated murder of civilians, women and children,” he declared.
In response, Israeli fighter jets reportedly bombed over 80 targets in Tehran, including the Ministry of Defense and facilities believed to house nuclear archives. Iran’s oil ministry confirmed that the Shahran oil depot in the capital was among the sites hit.
The Iranian Health Ministry reported 128 deaths and nearly 900 injuries from Israeli strikes. Human rights groups, including the HRANA, estimated total casualties to be at least 863 as of late Saturday. Due to media restrictions, independent assessment from within Iran remains limited.
The Israeli Defense Forces warned Iranian civilians in Farsi to stay away from weapons facilities for their own safety. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi maintained that Iran was acting in self-defense.
Iran’s exiled former crown prince Reza Pahlavi suggested the attacks have “re-energised” opposition movements within Iran, calling it an opportunity for regime change.
In the U.S., former President Donald Trump said military involvement is a possibility but confirmed America is currently not part of the conflict. He expressed openness to Russian President Vladimir Putin serving as a mediator.
The situation remains volatile as the international community urges restraint.
