Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched missile strikes on Israel on Monday, targeting the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv and military sites in Haifa and East Jerusalem. The attacks come in retaliation for the US-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday.
IRGC Confirms Targeting Israeli Leadership
“The office of the criminal prime minister of the Zionist regime and the headquarters of the regime’s air force commander were targeted,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by Fars News Agency. Kheibar missiles were reportedly used in the attacks. The current status of Prime Minister Netanyahu is unclear.
Explosions were reported over Jerusalem, as Israel activated defensive systems to intercept incoming missiles. The Israeli military confirmed: “A short while ago, the IDF identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat.”
Regional Escalation Across the Gulf
The strikes have widened the conflict across the region. At least 555 people have been killed in Iran so far, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society. Explosions were reported in Dubai, Bahrain, Iraq, and other Gulf cities. Black smoke was seen rising from the US embassy in Kuwait, which issued a security alert asking people to stay away. The attacks have killed five people in the Gulf, including one in Kuwait.
International Reaction
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attacks as “reckless and indiscriminate,” urging de-escalation. She said, “We must work hard to de-escalate and stop the conflict from spreading. The stability of the region is of the utmost importance.”
The IRGC’s strikes follow three days of escalating retaliatory attacks across the Middle East. Iran has targeted US bases, power stations, and regional allies, marking the most dramatic escalation in the Gulf in decades
