
TEHRAN – A second round of strikes has begun on targets inside Israel, with Israeli media reporting huge explosions as Iranian missiles rain down.
Reports say missiles were launched from the capital, Tehran, and Kermanshah, in western Iran, toward targets deep in Israel.
Iran began retaliatory strikes on Israeli targets on Friday evening local time, after Israeli aggression targeted locations, including residential buildings, inside Iran.
Vivid images and footage captured by Israelis show Iranian missiles exploding upon impact and creating massive fireballs.
A senior Iranian military official, General Ahmad Vahidi said “Operation True Promise 3” — as the Iranian retaliatory strikes are dubbed — will continue for as long as necessary.
Overnight on Friday, the Israeli regime began a series of military strikes in and near the Iranian capital, Tehran, as well as other Iranian cities. Simultaneously, and anticipating a devastating Iranian response, Israeli minister for military affairs Israel Katz declared a state of emergency across Israel.
The Israeli military also carried out targeted strikes against Iran’s top military brass. Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri and Chief Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami were killed in Tehran.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei appointed new top military brass on the same day.
According to Iran’s Envoy to the United Nations Sa’eed Iravani, 78 people, including senior military officials, have been killed and 320 injured so far in Israeli strikes.
Meanwhile, in central Tehran, air defense systems were engaging Israeli drones and quadcopters, whizzing over neighborhoods in the night sky.
IRNA