Tensions between Israel and Iran escalated further after Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for a forceful response to an Iranian missile attack.
In a post on X, Ben-Gvir stated, “Tonight, Tehran must burn,” following reports stated that Iran had launched missiles toward Israel. The statement came as Israeli air defence systems were activated to intercept incoming projectiles, with authorities urging residents to follow safety instructions and seek shelter as warning sirens sounded across multiple regions.
Israel subsequently carried out strikes on military targets in western and central Iran. The attacks occurred hours after Iran launched a barrage of missiles, which Tehran said the attack was in retaliation for actions attributed to Israel in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
The Israeli Defense Forces said its air force struck targets “belonging to the Iranian terror regime” in western and central Iran in a statement on X on Sunday evening.
Iranian state media separately reported that explosions were heard in Tehran, Tabriz, and Isfahan after Israel fired “air-launched ballistic missiles,” citing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson described Iran’s missile launch as a “grave mistake” and warned that Tehran would face consequences for the attack.
The Israeli military hit Iranian surface-to-surface missile launch sites and non-energy infrastructure, Israel’s ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, said.
Nearly two hours later, the Israel Air Force claimed that it was intercepting a missile “from the direction of Yemen toward Israeli territory.”
Iran fired at least 10 missiles at Israel, and the authorities claim that all of them were intercepted.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it had targeted a chemical facility in the northern Israeli city of Haifa. The IRGC said the strike was in response to what it described as a joint US-Israeli attack on an Iranian petrochemical site.
In a statement, the IRGC warned that continued attacks on civilian infrastructure and energy facilities could have consequences extending beyond the region. Iranian officials also accused Israel of escalating the conflict by targeting oil and industrial facilities and cautioned that further attacks on non-military or energy-related sites could affect Middle Eastern energy security and have broader economic implications.
The exchange of strikes and threats has heightened concerns about the possibility of a wider regional conflict.
Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency reported that two Israeli strikes on the Karun Petrochemical Plant in Mahshahr caused no casualties. Authorities said the extent of the damage remains under assessment.
The Mahshahr Port Governorship also announced a temporary reduction in government office staffing levels, stating that public offices would operate at 30 per cent capacity until further notice. Citizens were advised to take the reduced staffing into account when seeking government services.
Emergency services, along with electricity, water, gas, and relief agencies, will remain fully operational and are exempt from the staffing restrictions.
