by Our Correspondent in Doha
Iran launched a massive wave of missile and drone attacks overnight, targeting military and strategic infrastructure across Israel. The offensive, described by Iranian media as the largest in the nation’s history, comes in response to what Tehran calls a series of Israeli strikes on Iranian soil — including the assassination of senior military commanders and scientists.
According to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Iran’s aerospace division shot down 10 Israeli military aircraft over the past hour. Brigadier General Ali Mohammad Naeini stated that Iranian forces also targeted fuel production facilities for Israeli fighter jets and critical energy supply centers, crippling key military logistics.
At the same time, Israeli authorities confirmed multiple direct hits on the campus of the Weizmann Institute of Science in central Israel, a premier research facility. A fire broke out in at least one laboratory, and though no injuries were reported on site, seven civilians remain missing in the city of Bat Yam following the attack.
The Iranian missiles included advanced variants such as the Emad, Ghadr, and Kheibar Shekan, all featuring precision-guidance systems designed to evade Israel’s advanced missile defense networks. The IRGC claimed that the missiles penetrated systems like Arrow-3 and David’s Sling, enabling strikes deep into Israeli territory.
Tehran has framed the operation, code-named “Ya Ali ibn Abi Talib”, as a direct response to what it calls “terrorist attacks” by Israel, including strikes on Tehran and other Iranian cities earlier this week. Iranian state media reports that those strikes resulted in the deaths of several senior IRGC officers, nuclear scientists, and civilians, including children.
U.S. military bases were also drawn into the regional fallout, with a drone attack on the Ain al-Assad base in western Iraq. The Associated Press reports that the drones were intercepted before reaching the target, and no casualties have been confirmed.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, posting on Truth Social, distanced the United States from any involvement in the original Israeli strikes on Iran, stating:
“We had NOTHING to do with the attack on Iran… But if Iran attacks the U.S. in any way, they will be hit with force like never before.”
Trump also claimed that a peace deal between Iran and Israel could be achieved swiftly, calling for an end to the “bloody conflict.”
As the region braces for potential further retaliation, the IRGC warned that offensive operations would continue “with even greater force” if Israeli aggression persists. With dozens reported dead and key Israeli assets damaged or destroyed, the scope and scale of this latest confrontation may mark a turning point in an already volatile conflict.
