At least 78 civilians have been killed and more than 325 injured in overnight Israeli airstrikes on Iran, according to Iranian media reports.
The attacks, which targeted multiple cities across the country, are said to have caused the highest number of civilian casualties in the capital, Tehran.
The Iranian Ministry of Health confirmed that all civilian deaths occurred in Tehran and noted that an emergency has been declared across hospitals in the city. Medical teams have been mobilised and relief efforts are underway at emergency centres to provide treatment to the wounded.
Iranian officials said Israel launched a wide-scale military operation involving fighter jets, missiles, and drones that struck multiple Iranian cities, including Qom, Tabriz, Isfahan, Urmia, Maragheh, Ahvaz, Natanz, and Shiraz.
Among the key targets, Tehran was hit with several rounds of precision strikes, reportedly resulting in the deaths of top Iranian military and scientific figures. Iranian media have claimed that several high-ranking officials, including IRGC commander-in-chief General Hossein Salami, Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani, and senior nuclear advisor to the Supreme Leader Ali Shamkhani, were killed in the attacks. Six nuclear scientists were also reported among the dead.
Although full details remain unverified, the strikes mark one of the most extensive aerial assaults on Iranian territory in recent years and have sharply escalated tensions in the region.
Iranian authorities have not yet issued a comprehensive list of casualties, but the health ministry stated that more than 50 people were wounded in initial waves of attacks. Hospital systems across Tehran and other affected cities are operating under emergency protocols.
No official statement from Israel has confirmed the civilian toll, but its military has said the strikes were “pre-emptive” and aimed at Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure.
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