Iran's military has stated that it targeted Israeli military bases, including the Palmachim and Ovda airbases, as well as the headquarters of the domestic security service Shin Bet, using drones. The announcement was carried by state television on Thursday, though Israel has yet to comment on these claims. Israel also reported identifying additional missile launches from Iran, with missile alert alarms sounding in Jerusalem and explosions heard as defenses attempted to intercept incoming fire.
The conflict, now in its 13th day, shows no sign of abating despite U.S. President Donald Trump's insistence that U.S. strikes had allegedly practically defeated Iran. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X, reiterating Tehran's commitment to regional peace but asserting that the war can end only if Iran's "legitimate rights" are recognized. He claimed to have spoken with leaders of Russia and Pakistan, emphasizing that the conflict was "ignited by the Zionist regime and the U.S."
Iranian Deputy Health Minister Ali Jafarian told Al Jazeera from Tehran that hospitals and health facilities across Iran have suffered damage due to intensified U.S.-Israeli strikes, with medical teams coping with a growing number of casualties, many of them civilians. He reported at least 1,395 people killed and 31 major clinical facilities and hospitals damaged, 12 of which are now inactive. Al Jazeera correspondent Tohid Asadi added that targets include not only military sites but also civilian facilities like schools and hospitals, with concerns rising over electricity shortages and public health in areas near Tehran.
Analysts noted that Israel's tactics in Iran mirror its conduct during the war in Gaza that began on October 7, 2023, accusing Israel of dismantling entire systems by hitting schools, public infrastructure, and state institutions. A spokesman for the Iranian Red Crescent Society stated on Wednesday that nearly 20,000 civilian buildings, including at least 16,000 residential units, have been affected since the U.S.-Israel war on Iran began.
Iranian parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf posted on X on Thursday, warning that any U.S. aggression against Iranian islands in the Gulf would prompt Tehran to "abandon all restraint." Several Iranian islands, such as Kharg, serve as critical energy export terminals, with military bases located on others.
Source: www.aljazeera.com