TEHRAN, Iran — Heavy explosions rocked central Tehran early on Wednesday morning of April 1, 2026, as a new wave of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes targeted the Iranian capital. Among the sites affected was the historic compound of the former U.S. Embassy, a location of immense symbolic weight that has been under the control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) since the 1979 hostage crisis.
Witnesses on Taleghani Street reported hearing at least three massive blasts just before dawn on April 1. The strikes, which appeared to hit targets inside or immediately adjacent to the high-walled compound, sent shockwaves through the surrounding district, shattering windows in nearby residential and commercial buildings.
While the full extent of the destruction is still being assessed, initial reports and social media footage indicate significant damage to the embassy's perimeter, including breaches where portions of the famous brick walls adorned with anti-American murals were seen crumbling.
The compound—known as the "Nest of Spies" museum and home to Basij paramilitary offices—reportedly sustained direct hits to newer administrative buildings constructed on the grounds. Although Iranian state media IRIB acknowledged the strikes, they have not yet provided a confirmed casualty count for the embassy site, though four individuals were reported killed in a separate strike in nearby Karaj.
The strike on the embassy grounds is part of a broader, month-long military campaign dubbed Operation Epic Fury by the United States. Since late February, U.S. and Israeli forces have conducted nearly 1,000 strikes across Iran, targeting missile sites, nuclear infrastructure, and leadership hubs.
The decision to strike so close to—or within—the former diplomatic compound marks a departure from earlier phases of the conflict. Analysts suggest the move is intended to dismantle the command-and-control infrastructure of the IRGC and Basij, which have long used the embassy as a central coordination point for urban security.
Tehran residents described a night of terror as fighter jets and drones were heard overflying the city for several hours, with explosions reported far beyond the embassy district.
In Northeastern Tehran, strikes targeted military barracks and research centers, while in Karaj, a four-story residential building was reportedly leveled during an attempt to hit a nearby mobile missile launcher.
Furthermore, multiple industrial zones were hit, specifically focusing on sites linked to Iran's drone production and critical fuel storage facilities.
The escalation comes just as U.S. President Donald Trump is set to address the nation on Wednesday night. In earlier comments, the President suggested that military operations could be reaching a conclusion within "two to three weeks," even as a third aircraft carrier strike group, the USS George H.W. Bush, moves into the region to join the Abraham Lincoln and Gerald R. Ford.
In Tehran, the mood is one of grim defiance mixed with panic. The strikes on such a landmark site have upended any remaining sense of normalcy in the capital. As smoke continues to rise from Taleghani Street, the international community remains on high alert, watching for Iran's inevitable retaliatory response in a war that has already reshaped the Middle East.