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The Israeli military has announced that "a short while ago" its forces initiated "a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime in western Iran", marking a major escalation in the regional conflict.
According to Al Jazeera, this offensive coincides with a sharp rise in medical emergencies, with Israel's Health Ministry reporting that 108 people were admitted to hospitals in the last 24 hours alone. The ministry noted it does not currently "provide a breakdown of the causes of injuries". However, The Times of Israel suggested that many of these "might have been sustained by people trying to reach shelter" during sirens, rather than from direct fire. This adds to a staggering toll since the war began on 28 February, with the ministry stating on X that "until this morning, 3,195 people have been admitted to hospitals", with "81 of whom are currently hospitalised". In response to these persistent threats, Israeli air defences successfully neutralised two separate waves of missiles aimed at southern regions within the last hour. Reports from Al Jazeera, citing Ynet News, confirmed these interceptions prevented harm to populated areas, while the Home Front Command noted no casualties from these specific incidents. Simultaneously, sirens were activated across central Israel due to a projectile launched from Lebanon, which was also intercepted. This followed earlier reports of "loud explosions" in the central region after a missile strike from Iran. Al Jazeera, quoting Channel 12, reported that falling debris was seen in central areas, where the ambulance service treated four people injured while rushing to shelters. Despite the Home Front Command initially declaring the central incident over, the situation remains fluid. Authorities recently detected further rocket and missile fire targeting the south, prompting an urgent directive for residents to take shelter immediately. This surge in aerial activity follows a high-profile Israeli Air Force (IAF) operation in Tehran that killed two senior Iranian intelligence officials. In a post on X, the IDF confirmed, "ELIMINATED: Abdollah Jalali-Nasab & Amir Shariat, senior intelligence officials of the 'Khatam al-Anbiya' Emergency Command." The military described the pair as "key figures in the Iranian intelligence community" and close associates of the regime's leadership. According to the Jerusalem Post, the precision strike targeted the men after they were appointed to replace Saleh Asadi, who was killed earlier in Operation Roaring Lion. The targeted Khatam al-Anbiya command is vital for Iran's military decision-making against Israel. Military spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin stated that hundreds of IAF aircraft have now struck over 150 Iranian government targets as part of this broader campaign. As these multi-front engagements intensify, the IDF has affirmed that joint operations with the US will persist. Speaking to ANI, IDF spokesperson Lt Ben Cohen emphasised that Israel is prepared for a long-term mission to neutralise an "existential threat". "I'm not going to give any specific timeframe, but I'll tell you that we're going to keep going until we know that we've taken away that existential threat," Cohen stated. He noted that while Israel avoids prolonged wars, the scale of the current threat necessitates an extended operation against Iran's infrastructure. (ANI)
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