Israeli fighter jets launched another wave of strikes in Tehran late Wednesday, the military said, marking the 11th round of attacks since the start of the campaign and the second strike on the Iranian capital in a single day. Explosions were reported in western parts of the city.
The Israeli military said the strikes are part of its ongoing effort to dismantle Iran’s military infrastructure and missile capabilities.
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Israeli Air Force fighter jets on their way to strike in Iran
(Video: IDF Spokesperson)
Speaking to reporters, IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said the military has been striking targets linked to the Iranian regime continuously for about 100 hours since the start of the operation.
“With the opening of the operation, we began peeling away layers of Iran’s defenses,” he said. “Within 24 hours the Air Force established air superiority and paved the way to the heart of Tehran.”
According to Defrin, Israeli forces have so far struck and disabled about 300 air defense systems and ballistic missile assets. The military has also targeted sites linked to Iran’s nuclear program and killed several senior commanders of the Iranian regime in intelligence-guided operations.
“In Tehran alone we have struck more than 220 targets,” he said, adding that the military also hit a complex of headquarters used by regime operatives to direct the campaign against Israel and to suppress Iranian civilians.
Defrin also addressed earlier attacks launched toward Israel from Iran and Hezbollah but said he was not aware of intelligence indicating the two were coordinated.
“I do not hold intelligence information showing there was coordination,” he said, though he added that Hezbollah operates under the influence of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Earlier Wednesday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem vowed that the group would continue fighting Israel.
“Our fight is not connected to any other war,” he said in a speech. “Our demand is an end to Israeli strikes and an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.”
Qassem said Hezbollah remains committed to a ceasefire agreement but accused Israel of violating its terms. He called on Lebanese political factions to unite behind the confrontation with Israel, warning that the group would “fight until death and will not surrender.”
Meanwhile, Iraqi media outlets linked to pro-Iranian factions reported that people were killed in an Israeli strike targeting a vehicle belonging to the Shiite militia Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq’s Babil province. Some militia-linked outlets described the strike as a joint U.S.-Israeli operation, though there was no immediate confirmation.
Separately, French President Emmanuel Macron said he urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid a ground offensive in Lebanon.
In a statement posted on X, Macron said he also called on Hezbollah to immediately halt its attacks against Israel, warning that the escalation threatens the entire region.
Macron added that France and its partners would continue supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces and provide humanitarian assistance to civilians displaced by the fighting in southern Lebanon.