Iran and Israel Exchange Missiles as Escalating Conflict Claims Dozens of Lives
Tehran launches hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel in a powerful act of retaliation, hitting Tel Aviv
At least 80 people – including 20 children – have been killed in Iran and four in Israel, with hundreds wounded on both sides in the ongoing tit-for-tat attacks.
By Abdullahi Yusuf
Iran launched a wave of missile strikes against Israel early Saturday, killing at least three people and injuring dozens others. The strike was in retaliation after a series of Israeli airstrikes on key Iranian nuclear and military targets — including the heavily fortified Natanz nuclear facility and the capital Tehran.
Reports say, Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles, striking urban centers in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and hitting several Israeli buildings, including a high-rise in central Tel Aviv and an apartment block in Ramat Gan.
Israeli emergency services reported 34 injuries and one death, while military officials confirmed their air defense systems intercepted many of the incoming projectiles.
Israeli emergency services now confirm that at least two people have died in the Iranian strikes.
According to Magen David Adom (MDA), a woman in her 60s was found unconscious and without vital signs, while a 45-year-old man died after being evacuated.
Additionally, 21 people were injured in the Coastal Plains region, most with blast-related trauma.
Iran’s missile barrage came in direct retaliation for Israeli attacks on Friday that struck deep inside Iranian territory — targeting senior military commanders, scientists, and three nuclear sites, including Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned the Israeli raids as a declaration of war, warning that “nowhere in Israel will be safe.”
Iranian officials claimed the retaliatory strikes were aimed at military and strategic targets, while also delivering a blunt message to both Israel and its allies.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry accused the United States of direct involvement, after the Pentagon confirmed that American forces helped intercept some Iranian missiles.
Iran’s U.N. ambassador stated that 78 people, including senior Iranian military officials, were killed in Israeli strikes, with more than 320 others injured, many of them civilians.
Meanwhile, the U.N. nuclear watchdog confirmed that Israel’s attacks caused significant damage to nuclear facilities.
The above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz was reportedly destroyed. Inspections are ongoing at Fordow and Isfahan, other major nuclear sites.
While Israel claims it acted to prevent Iran from crossing the nuclear weapons threshold — citing intelligence that Tehran was days away from producing bomb-grade material — Iran maintains its nuclear program is strictly for peaceful purposes.
Diplomatic tensions soared further as Tehran signaled it may pull out of planned nuclear talks in Oman, blaming Washington’s support for Israel. “You cannot claim to negotiate while enabling aggression,” an Iranian spokesman said.
As the region braces for potential escalation, fears of a broader Middle East conflict are growing. Both nations have raised their military alert levels, and the world watches anxiously, hoping diplomacy can still halt the slide into full-scale war.
Sources: Aljazeera, Muslim Network.
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