Updated: June 22, 2025 | 04:31 pm IST
Hours after the United States launched direct military strikes on three key Iranian nuclear sites, Iran has responded with a massive barrage of missiles aimed at various locations across Israel, dramatically escalating the ongoing conflict.
Key Details of Iran's Retaliatory Attacks:
- Two Volleys of Missiles: Iran launched at least two volleys of 27 missiles in rapid succession, a departure from previous, more spaced-out attacks.
This suggests a concerted and immediate response to the US action. - Targeted Locations: Iranian state news agencies reported that the missiles targeted Israel's main Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, as well as various research facilities and command centers.
- Widespread Alerts and Impacts: Air raid sirens blared across most of Israel, including in the commercial hub of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the port city of Haifa, and other parts of the country.
Millions of people scrambled to safe rooms and bomb shelters. - Casualties and Damage: Israeli emergency services reported that at least 86 people were wounded in the latest round of Iranian missile strikes, with two in moderate condition. Videos and reports from Tel Aviv and Haifa showed significant damage to residential buildings, apartments reduced to rubble, and mangled cars, with rescue teams combing through debris.
- One striking report from Tel Aviv's Ramat Aviv neighborhood described "the mere skeletons of homes" left standing, with rubble-filled streets.
- "Khorramshahr-4" Missile Claim: Iranian state TV aired what appeared to be test-firing footage of the Khorramshahr-4 missile, with an on-screen caption claiming it was used in today's barrage on Israel.
This is reportedly one of Iran's biggest missiles, capable of carrying the heaviest payload. - IDF Response: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the missile launches and stated they had intercepted many of the incoming projectiles. However, the sheer volume of the attack, and some reports of air raid warnings not sounding in certain hit areas (which the IDF is investigating), indicate a complex and challenging defensive scenario. The IDF also reported carrying out its own wave of bombings on "military targets" in western Iran following Iran's attacks, and claimed to have destroyed two Iranian F-5 fighter jets at Dezful Airport, along with eight ballistic missile launchers.
- Tehran's Defiance: Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman reiterated that the US attacks on its nuclear facilities were a "gross and unprecedented violation" of international law and stated, "The world must not forget that it was the United States that, in the midst of a diplomatic process, betrayed diplomacy... and is now waging a dangerous war against Iran."
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned the US to "expect regrettable responses" and vowed to continue targeting Israel.
The immediate and forceful nature of Iran's retaliation underscores the gravity of the US decision to directly intervene in the conflict, pushing the region further into an all-out war with potentially devastating consequences. International bodies and leaders are expressing severe alarm and calling for de-escalation, but the direct exchange of fire suggests the conflict is rapidly spiraling out of control.
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