Iran’s state television headquarters in Tehran was reportedly attacked Saturday, according to Sabereen News, a news agency affiliated with pro-Iranian militias in Iraq. Footage circulating on social media showed smoke rising over Tehran.
Documentation from Tehran
Israel’s Home Front Command said residents across the country, including in the south and central regions, could leave protected spaces but must remain nearby. Earlier instructions had required some areas to remain inside shelters following missile launches from Iran.
In the latest barrage, debris fell in Beersheba, damaging a vehicle but causing no injuries, according to Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service. Additional damage was reported to a major road near Beit Shemesh.
Israel’s Security Cabinet is scheduled to convene at 9 p.m., officials said.
Meanwhile, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visited Hatzerim Air Base on Tuesday to review the Air Force’s readiness ahead of Operation Roaring Lion, the military said. Speaking to personnel, Zamir referenced a previous operation and said the Air Force had demonstrated “impressive capabilities,” highlighting close coordination with the United States, including US Central Command and US Air Forces Central.
“When we enter this campaign, extraordinary power will be brought to bear, ultimately achieving the required objectives,” he said, according to the IDF.
Air raid sirens sounded across large parts of Israel on Saturday morning after missile launches were detected from Iran, as the Israel Defense Forces confirmed it had killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, in the opening strike of Operation Roaring Lion.
Launches from Iran
The IDF said it was now striking “regime terror targets in the heart of Tehran” for the first time since the operation began. According to the military, the Air Force, guided by military intelligence, launched a broad wave of strikes against regime targets in central Tehran.
The Home Front Command said alerts were activated nationwide after launches from Iran were identified and urged the public to follow safety instructions. The Air Force was operating to intercept incoming missiles and strike where necessary to remove threats.
Sirens were heard in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the coastal plain, the Sharon region, the West Bank, the Jordan Valley, the Galilee, the Golan Heights, Haifa and as far south as Beersheba, the western Negev and communities near the Gaza border. The Home Front Command later said residents across the country, including in the north, could leave protected spaces but should remain nearby.
The latest barrage was relatively limited, similar to previous rounds, with most projectiles intercepted and several falling in open areas. Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service said it had received no immediate reports of injuries and dispatched teams to several locations.
A projectile landed in an open area near Beit Shemesh following one of the launches. Fire and Rescue Services reported that interceptor debris in the West Bank caused a gas leak in one community.
The fall of a rocket launched from Iran
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The parking garage at Dizengoff Center in Tel Aviv has been designated a protected space
(Photo: Yuval Chen)
Earlier, Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv said a woman in her 60s who experienced shortness of breath while heading to a protected room during the sirens was pronounced dead despite resuscitation efforts.
The IDF also confirmed that the fatal strike in Tel Aviv a day earlier, which killed a live-in caregiver, was caused by a direct missile hit rather than interceptor fragments. Tel Aviv city officials said 40 buildings were damaged in that strike, one declared uninhabitable, and more than 200 residents were evacuated to three hotels.
Home Front Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo conducted situational assessments and visited impact sites. The command has mobilized about 20,000 reservists. Over the past 24 hours, its call center received roughly 65,000 phone calls and more than 9,000 digital inquiries.
In the region, Oman’s state news agency reported that the commercial port of Duqm was targeted by two drones. The US Embassy in Muscat advised its staff to shelter in place. Authorities in Bahrain said the Crowne Plaza hotel was hit by an Iranian missile. In Dubai, an official said two people were wounded by debris from intercepted drones over residential areas.
Pakistan’s media, cited by Al Jazeera, reported that protesters stormed the US Consulate in Karachi in response to Khamenei’s killing, with casualties reported.
Meanwhile, Sabereen News, affiliated with pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, reported that Ahmad Vahidi, a former Iranian interior minister, had been appointed the new commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, instructed that there be no budgetary cap on evacuating residents whose homes were rendered uninhabitable to hotels nationwide, though officials said only those whose homes are deemed unfit will qualify.
The Home Front Command said challenging days lie ahead and that strict defensive policies remain in effect as the conflict continues.
First published: 10:57, 03.01.26