Multiple areas across Iran came under renewed attack on Wednesday as the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran entered its fifth day, with casualties climbing and no clear path to de-escalation. Reports from Iranian media said explosions were heard in several parts of Tehran, while other cities, including Qom, were also hit. Al Jazeera reported that at least 787 people had been killed in Iran in the joint US-Israeli campaign.
Iranian state television broadcast images showing the wreckage of a damaged building in central Tehran, underscoring the scale of the latest strikes. The continued bombardment suggests the conflict is deepening rather than slowing.
Iranian Retaliation Triggers Alerts Across Israel
As strikes continued inside Iran, Iranian missiles again set off air raid sirens across Israel, sending residents in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other areas rushing to shelters. Earlier, Israeli authorities had warned that missiles had been launched from Iran and said air defence systems were working to intercept them.
Israel’s emergency service, Magen David Adom, said there were no immediate reports of casualties from the latest wave. Still, loud blasts were heard during interception attempts, highlighting the pressure on Israeli air defences as repeated salvos continue.
Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim, reporting from Ramallah, said the explosions were intense and appeared to be linked to interceptions. She added that the scale of the missile fire appeared broad, making defensive efforts more difficult. She also noted Israeli media reports that shrapnel fell near Beit Shemesh, an area already hit earlier in the conflict.
Tehran Keeps Up Missile and Drone Attacks
Iran has continued its retaliatory missile and drone operations not only against Israel but also across the Gulf, as the conflict grows into a wider regional confrontation. This comes as US President Donald Trump has said the war could continue for weeks, with recent reports suggesting the campaign may last up to a month.
The ongoing exchanges show that neither side is stepping back, and the fighting is now firmly entrenched in a cycle of continued strikes and counterstrikes.
Israeli Military Says It Targeted Security-Linked Sites
On Wednesday, the Israeli military said it had carried out a series of strikes in Tehran aimed at targets linked to Iranian security forces. According to its statement, the attacks hit buildings associated with the Basij, the volunteer force tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It also said it targeted facilities linked to Iran’s internal security command, an institution previously involved in suppressing protests.
These claims fit a broader pattern in which Israel says it is targeting the Iranian state’s command, security and military infrastructure as part of the ongoing campaign.
Explosions Reported Beyond the Capital
Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran, said large explosions were heard in the capital and that reports were also emerging from other cities, including Karaj and Isfahan. The widening spread of reported blasts indicates that the conflict is not limited to Tehran and is affecting multiple strategic areas inside Iran.
Asadi also said the IRGC announced that ground forces had entered battlefield operations involving 230 drones. He added that Iranian officials were also speaking about a naval operation targeting US military ships.
His assessment from the ground was stark: there was no visible sign of easing tensions, and escalation remained the dominant reality in Tehran.
No Clear Sign of a Ceasefire
Any possibility of a ceasefire appeared remote on Wednesday. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticised President Trump, saying he had undermined diplomacy and those Americans who elected him. In a post on X, Araghchi argued that complex nuclear negotiations had been mishandled and said the result had been the destruction of the diplomatic process itself.
His remarks point to a wider collapse in prospects for talks, as military action now appears to have overtaken any remaining diplomatic channel.
Region Remains Locked in Escalation
With strikes continuing across Iranian cities, missiles still reaching Israel, and both military and political rhetoric hardening, the war has entered a more dangerous stage. The growing death toll, the widening geographic scope of the attacks and the absence of any serious ceasefire momentum all suggest the conflict may continue to intensify in the near term.