TEHRAN: Explosions rocked Tehran on Wednesday as Iran accused the United States and Israel of bombing nearly 10,000 civilian sites across the country and killing more than 1,300 civilians since the war began.
The strike came as powerful explosions were reported across the city, with Israeli forces also bombing a residential district in central Tehran.
Iran’s representative to the United Nations accused the United States and Israel of deliberately targeting civilians, reflecting growing anger within both the Iranian government and the public as the war becomes increasingly destructive and deadly.
US President Donald Trump had earlier framed the attacks as an effort to help the Iranian people. Just days before the conflict began, he urged Iranians to remain patient and wait for assistance that he suggested could help them free themselves from what he described as a despotic regime.
However, the situation on the ground appears very different. Many residents are staying indoors, fearful of continued strikes and the risk posed by toxic smoke and pollution following attacks on fuel depots and other infrastructure. Damage has also been reported to key civilian facilities, including water desalination plants and oil storage sites.
For many Iranians, the war has brought widespread fear and uncertainty. Although opinions about the government remain divided inside the country, there are currently few voices openly supporting the conflict, as civilians increasingly bear the cost of the escalating war.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, two Israeli airstrikes on the town of Hanawiya in the Tyre district killed three civilians, including a paramedic, according to the Ministry of Public Health.
An Israeli attack killed one person and wounded eight others in the Al-Housh area of Tyre, the ministry said.
Two people were also killed in an Israeli strike on the town of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, the National News Agency (NNA) reported.
Several others were wounded in an Israeli drone attack on a café in Al-Housh and in a strike on a house in the town of Al-Shahabiya in Tyre.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military said it destroyed 16 inactive Iranian mine-laying vessels after President Donald Trump warned of severe consequences if oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz were disrupted.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah and the Israeli military continued exchanging fire, while Iranian missiles struck Israel, with attacks reported in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Iranian counterattacks also continued across the region. Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia reported intercepting missiles and drones.
