TEHRAN, IRAN — A massive wave of joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes decimated key military and government infrastructure across the Iranian capital late Monday night. The assault, part of the rapidly escalating "2026 Iran War," has left at least 25 people dead and dozens more injured, according to local medical sources and state-run media.
Explosions began rocking Tehran shortly after midnight on April 6, 2026, as low-flying jets and cruise missiles bypassed air defense networks. Thick plumes of black smoke rose over Azadi Square and the northern suburbs, where several high-security compounds are located.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the operation targeted "regime assets," including IRGC command centers, ballistic missile storage sites, and a critical natural gas facility near Sharif University.
The toll has reached at least 25 fatalities, with reports from The New Arab highlighting significant casualties in residential areas of Baharestan County and Qom. Perhaps the most crippling blow to Tehran is the death of Major General Seyyed Majid Khademi, head of the IRGC’s Intelligence Organization, marking a major leadership loss in the ongoing conflict.
The strikes occurred just as a deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz loomed. In a series of cryptic and defiant posts, Trump signaled that the "critical period" of the war has arrived; warning that failure to negotiate would lead to the targeting of additional civilian and energy infrastructure.
"A short while ago the IDF completed a wave of strikes on Iranian regime targets in Tehran," the Israeli military stated via Telegram, characterizing the mission as a direct response to recent Iranian drone attacks on Israel and its Gulf allies.
The humanitarian situation in Tehran is deteriorating quickly. The Iranian Health Ministry reported that eight hospitals in the capital had to be evacuated due to proximity to blast zones or structural damage.
Tehran has already vowed a "more devastating" response to the Monday strikes. Retaliatory missile fire was detected early Tuesday morning aimed at Israel and U.S. assets in the Gulf, including a drone strike on the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait that injured 15 Americans.
As the smoke clears over Tehran, the international community remains paralyzed. With the "Epic Fury" operation showing no signs of slowing down, the 2026 conflict has now surpassed 1,340 total deaths since it began on February 28, 2026, pushing the Middle East into its most volatile chapter in decades.