Tehran, June 15 (IANS) Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launched a “large-scale combined offensive operation” against Israel, involving a significant number of missiles and drones, media reported.
The IRGC’s aerospace division carried out the attack on late Saturday night, stating it was in response to Israel’s “repeated aggressions” against Iran, according to the IRGC’s official news outlet Sepah News.
In Israel, a rocket struck a residential building in a northern community, killing one woman and injuring 13 others, according to Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s national emergency medical service.
Several others sustained moderate to light injuries, and four individuals were treated for anxiety, MDA said.
Earlier in the day, MDA reported that at least three people had been killed and 204 others injured since the beginning of the Iranian offensive, Xinhua news agency reported.
Following the latest wave of attacks, Israel’s Home Front Command advised residents outside the Haifa and northern regions that they could exit bomb shelters but should remain close to protected areas.
The Israeli military said that its air defence systems were actively intercepting incoming projectiles, while Israeli air force units were carrying out strikes on military targets in Tehran.
Iran’s Ministry of Petroleum confirmed that two oil depots in Tehran were hit during the attacks.
Residents reported two powerful explosions in the capital, with blasts felt in both the western and northern districts.
The Ministry said the situation was “under control”.
Meanwhile, Jordan temporarily closed its airspace late Saturday as a precautionary measure following the Iranian missile barrage.
The country’s Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission announced that the step was taken to ensure the safety of civil aviation.
The Iranian offensive came in retaliation for Israeli airstrikes conducted early Friday, which targeted Tehran and several other cities.
Iranian authorities said the Israeli strikes resulted in the deaths of multiple senior military commanders, nuclear scientists, and dozens of civilians.
Iran launched missiles at targets across Israel, including the cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv, killing at least six people, according to medics and media reports.
The attacks came after Israeli forces bombed civilian and energy infrastructure across Iran, igniting a fire at the Shahran oil facility in Tehran.
The Israeli military said it targeted sites “related to the Iranian regime’s nuclear weapons project”.
–IANS
int/khz
