Fresh explosions were heard in Tehran early on Saturday, and Iran’s semi official news agency, Tasnim reported that Mehrabad Airport was hit by Israeli strikes, marking the latest series of Israeli attacks on Tehran.
The Israeli military announced the beginning of a new wave of strikes on Tehran and live coverage from major news organizations showed the sound of explosions rolling through the city prior to dawn.
The latest strikes seem to have propelled the conflict into a more perilous phase, coming at the beginning of the second week of the war on March 7.
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Reuters reported that Israel announced that 50 warplanes had targeted a bunker still occupied by Iran’s leadership, which is located beneath the ruined Tehran compound of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whom the Israeli military announced was killed on the first day of the conflict.
AP reported that the Israeli military announced the beginning of a new series of strikes on Tehran as Iran launched fresh missiles at Israel.
There was no immediate Iranian report on the extent of the damage at Mehrabad Airport and no immediate report on the casualty toll from the airport attack.
Other reports highlighted the presence of smoke and fire near the area, although the extent of the damage remains unclear in the first hours following the attack.
Markets have also responded nervously, as Reuters reported that oil prices have increased as the conflict widens in the region.
For ordinary Tehran citizens, the renewed bombing means days of living in fear and uncertainty.
According to The Guardian, the city has faced some of the heaviest bombardments since the war began and Tehran residents described days of sleepless nights and confusion, accompanied by the sound of constant explosions.
The death toll keeps rising, and Iran’s UN ambassador announced that at least 1,332 people have been killed since the United States and Israel began strikes on February 28.
At least 1,230 people have died in Iran, over 200 in Lebanon and a dozen in Israel and six U.S. troops killed, showing the speed at which the conflict has escalated and spread beyond one front.
