Iran launches massive missile barrage on ‘Israel’; fatalities reported
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the launch of the seventh and eighth waves of missiles toward “enemy targets” as part of Operation True Promise 4, describing the latest barrage as unprecedented in scope. Iranian state television, citing informed sources, reported that the missile salvo was accompanied by drones.
Strikes targeted Tel Aviv, with explosions reported in the city as well as in Haifa and occupied al-Quds. Israeli media reported damage to a building in central areas and another near occupied al-Quds.
A missile reportedly struck Beit Shemesh, killing at least nine settlers and injuring over 36 others, according to Israeli reports.
Moreover, contact has been lost with at least 20 settlers, according to the mayor of Beit Shemesh.
The strike reportedly destroyed eight settlement units, as massive destruction was reported.
Additional accounts cited a “direct hit” in the Yarkon area north of Tel Aviv, with projectiles landing in multiple locations as emergency teams rushed to impacted sites. Israeli media described the barrage as “exceptional in terms of size and number.”
Sirens sounded across much of the occupied Palestinian coast, from Akka in the north to Isdud in the south, and repeatedly in the settlements surrounding Gaza, the occupied Syrian Golan, and settlements in the Upper al-Jalil. Alerts were also activated in the Dead Sea region amid concerns over drone infiltration.
Aggression ongoing
This comes as the joint US-Israeli aggression on Iran continues, with a new US–Israeli attack targeting Iran’s capital, Tehran. Repeated explosions were heard amid the attack.
Moreover, Iranian air defenses intercepted hostile targets over Shiraz and Tabriz in West Azerbaijan Province.
Escalation spreads to Gulf waterways
As tensions widened, Iranian television aired footage of a burning oil tanker under the headline: “Oil tanker sinks while illegally passing through the Strait of Hormuz.”
According to Reuters, citing the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), an incident was reported two nautical miles north of Kumzar in Oman. The agency confirmed that the vessel’s crew was safe and had been evacuated.
Reuters added that dozens of cargo ships were clustered in waters off the coasts of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and the UAE, avoiding transit through the Strait of Hormuz. At least 100 oil tankers were reported waiting off the coasts of the UAE and Oman outside the strait.
