Tel Aviv, June 16 — Iran launched a massive wave of over 100 missiles at Israel early Monday, killing three people and injuring dozens more in what marks the fourth consecutive day of escalating hostilities between the longtime regional adversaries.
Air raid sirens sounded across central Israel before dawn as explosions rocked Tel Aviv, believed to be from Israeli defence systems intercepting incoming missiles. Plumes of smoke filled the sky while damage reports poured in from Petah Tikva and surrounding areas.
Iran’s latest barrage, declared as retaliation for Israel’s surprise aerial assault last Friday on its nuclear and military infrastructure, struck at least four central Israeli cities. A residential building in Petah Tikva was hit directly, with charred walls, shattered windows, and multiple apartments destroyed.
The Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency service reported that two women and a man, all in their 70s, died in the attack. Another 74 injured were taken to hospitals, including a 30-year-old woman in critical condition. “Our teams are still combing the rubble to find survivors,” an MDA spokesperson said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi offered conditional restraint, stating, “If Israeli strikes on Iran stop, our responses will also stop.” But after a day of intensified Israeli aerial assaults that expanded to include government buildings and energy infrastructure, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard hardened its stance.
“Future responses will be more forceful, severe, precise and destructive than previous ones,” the Guard warned in a statement, following the killing of their intelligence chief, Gen. Mohammad Kazemi, and other top officers in Israeli strikes.
Israel has targeted not only military assets but also vital government institutions and energy hubs, including the Defence Ministry, missile launch sites, and factories. Fires were reported Sunday at the Shahran oil depot north of Tehran and a fuel tank in the city’s south.
The Iranian Health Ministry reported 224 deaths since the conflict erupted Friday, with at least 1,277 wounded. Independent rights groups suggest the real toll could be higher, with civilian casualties underreported by the state.
As tensions soared, a U.S. official confirmed that former President Donald Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during his term — a move that could have triggered an all-out regional war.
The crisis also derailed ongoing diplomatic efforts. Talks between the U.S. and Iran on Tehran’s nuclear programme, scheduled for Sunday in Oman, were abruptly cancelled. Iran has since told Qatari and Omani mediators that it refuses any ceasefire discussions while under Israeli attack.
Meanwhile, Iran has begun converting metro stations and mosques into emergency bomb shelters, preparing for further Israeli strikes that now appear aimed at crippling not just its military, but also its already-sanctioned energy industry — a critical component of global oil supply.
With no signs of de-escalation, the conflict threatens to pull in wider regional and international players, raising fears of a prolonged and destabilizing war in the Middle East.
