The United States has launched powerful airstrikes on Iranian missile installations along the Strait of Hormuz, deploying “deep penetrator” bombs in a major escalation of the widening Middle East conflict.
According to the US military, the strikes targeted key Iranian missile infrastructure, intensifying hostilities as Tehran warned of an imminent and “decisive” response following the killing of its senior security figure, Ali Larijani.
Iran’s military leadership described Larijani’s death as a critical blow, marking one of the most significant losses within the country’s power structure since Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei assumed office. The development has deepened tensions within Iran’s leadership and heightened fears of broader regional instability.
Overnight, Iran and its allied militia groups launched retaliatory strikes across multiple fronts. In Tel Aviv, at least two people were killed after sustaining severe shrapnel injuries, according to emergency services.
In Beirut, Israeli forces carried out a series of strikes targeting central areas of the city, flattening a building in a district surrounded by businesses and hotels. Authorities also issued evacuation orders in southern Lebanon as operations against Hezbollah intensified.
The escalation has spread across the region, with reports of explosions in Dubai and Baghdad, signalling a widening theatre of conflict involving Gulf states.
Saudi Arabia confirmed it intercepted and destroyed a drone headed toward its embassy district, underscoring growing concerns about the spillover of hostilities into neighbouring countries.
Inside Tehran, fear and uncertainty continue to grip residents. Civilians described living under constant threat, with one resident telling the BBC that leaving home now feels like “gambling with my life.”
The latest strikes come amid an intensifying cycle of attacks and reprisals involving the US, Iran, Israel, and regional militias, raising alarm over the potential for a prolonged and far-reaching conflict across the Middle East.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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