Tensions in the Middle East have escalated dramatically as missile sirens blared across multiple Israeli cities on Monday, including Nahariya, Gesher Haziv, Hila, Me’ona, and Mi’ilya, following another wave of projectile launches from Iran.
According to Iran’s state-run Press TV, the Islamic Republic deployed Kheyber-Shakan, Emad, Qadr, and Fattah-1 missiles in its latest assault. Iranian media cited a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claiming the strike involved combined missile and drone operations, with both solid- and liquid-fuel rockets, utilizing specialized tactics to bypass Israel’s multi-layered air defense systems.
“The operation successfully penetrated Israel’s air shield,” said the IRGC via Tasnim news agency, noting confirmed strikes in Safad, Tel Aviv, Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Beisan.
Israel Retaliates with Strikes on Iranian Military Sites
In response, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched retaliatory airstrikes targeting military installations in Tehran. This followed an earlier Israeli operation that hit six Iranian airports across western, eastern, and central regions of the country, according to military sources.
Strategic infrastructure in southern Israel was also struck during the Iranian barrage, intensifying fears of a broader regional war.
Strict military censorship laws in Israel have obscured the full extent of damage, but eyewitnesses across Israel and the occupied West Bank described prolonged sirens and loud explosions over a 35-minute period, pointing to one of the most sustained attacks in recent memory.
Missile Strikes and Rising Hostilities
The IRGC’s strikes come as part of Iran’s ongoing retaliation for Israel’s June 13 airstrike on its nuclear facilities. Since then, Tehran is believed to have launched approximately 450 ballistic missiles at Israel, in what analysts are calling one of the most significant escalations in decades.
Israeli media have confirmed missile impacts in Ashdod and southern areas near Jerusalem, while IDF sources say alerts were triggered even in central Israel, underscoring the depth of the threat.
With both sides locked in intensifying military exchanges, international observers are warning that the region is on the brink of full-scale war, with ripple effects likely to be felt far beyond the Middle East.
