International

IIE DIGITAL DESK : Tehran and other Iranian cities have come under unprecedented aerial assault as the seventh day of the US-Israeli war on Iran unfolded, with military and civilian targets suffering heavy bombardment. According to on-ground reports from Al Jazeera, the intensity of the strikes in the Iranian capital has surpassed that of previous days, leaving a trail of destruction, thick smoke columns, and shockwaves felt across the city. Early Friday, the Israeli military announced the start of a new “broad-scale wave of strikes” on Tehran, while the United States confirmed that B-2 stealth bombers had deployed dozens of 2,000-pound “penetrator” bombs aimed at deeply buried ballistic missile launchers.

Al Jazeera correspondent Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran, described the scale of the attacks as extraordinary, with fighter jets filling the skies and explosions rocking multiple districts. The strikes reportedly hit both military and civilian locations, including residential areas, parking lots, and gas stations. The vicinity of Tehran University and an Iranian military academy were also targeted, highlighting the indiscriminate nature of some of the attacks. Elsewhere, explosions were reported in the cities of Kermanshah, Shiraz, and Isfahan, locations known to host missile bases, as part of what Israel described as efforts to dismantle Iran’s air defences and missile infrastructure.

Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, confirmed that US B-2 bombers had struck Iran’s underground missile launchers and facilities equivalent to a Space Command, which he said would degrade the country’s ability to threaten Americans. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned of an imminent escalation, indicating that more fighter squadrons, bombers, and advanced capabilities would be deployed in the coming days. He emphasized that the bombardment would surge dramatically, signaling that the conflict is entering a more destructive phase.

The human toll of the strikes has been severe. Iranian state media reported that at least 1,230 people have been killed since the attacks began last Saturday, including 181 children, according to UNICEF. Among the dead were 175 girls killed when a school in Minab, southern Iran, was struck on the first day of the US and Israeli campaign. The incident is under investigation by US military officials, who have indicated it is likely that US forces were responsible, though a final conclusion has yet to be reached. If confirmed, the strike would represent one of the gravest cases of civilian casualties in decades of US military operations in the Middle East and would constitute a serious war crime.

Tehran struggles under the relentless bombardment, the destruction has intensified public fear and highlighted the vulnerability of civilian populations in the midst of escalating military operations. The seventh day of attacks has underscored both the tactical ambitions of the US and Israeli forces and the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of the conflict, leaving Iran’s cities battered and families mourning in the face of a war that shows no immediate signs of abating.

The ongoing strikes serve as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of modern warfare on civilian infrastructure, and the world continues to watch as Tehran endures one of the most intense bombardments in recent history.