Israeli strikes escalate in Tehran as Iran advances missile capabilities

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) launched a series of intensified airstrikes on Sunday targeting military and political sites in Tehran, marking a sharp escalation in the ongoing conflict with Iran. The strikes follow a deadly wave of Iranian ballistic missile attacks on Saturday evening that killed at least 11 civilians in separate barrages in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, and also in northern Israel claiming the lives of four Arab Israeli citizens.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who toured the damage in the coastal city of Bat Yam, condemned the Iranian assault and pledged a forceful response. "The Iranian regime will pay a heavy price for this unprovoked act of aggression," he stated during his visit.

"Iran will pay a very heavy price for murdering civilians. We will also achieve our goals," Netanyahu stated.

The prime minister warned that the IAF would strike every target in Tehran affiliated with the ayatollah regime.

"In the very near future you will see Israeli Air Force jets over the skies of Tehran, we will strike every site and every target of the Ayatollah's regime, and what they have felt until now is nothing compared to what they will feel under the sway of our forces in the coming days," the Israeli leader warned.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz accused Iranian leader Khamenei of holding Tehran’s residents as his regime’s hostages.

"Khamenei is turning Tehran into Beirut and is holding its residents hostage," Katz stated. "Anyone who thinks of harming us by criminally firing at civilians will learn that we are strong."

On Sunday, local experts warned that the Iranian regime has so far not used its most advanced and lethal ballistic missiles. Israel has one of the world’s most advanced aerial defense systems. However, the former security officials argue that these specific Iranian missiles can reportedly carry a payload of more than a ton and are difficult to detect and intercept.

The Israeli military is closely tracking Iran’s ongoing development of increasingly sophisticated missile systems, amid growing concerns that the ayatollah regime may be reserving its most advanced weapons for a later phase of the conflict. Defense officials have noted that while Iran’s arsenal appears to be evolving, the real-world effectiveness of these newer systems remains untested in combat.

On Saturday, the IAF announced it had gained operational freedom in the airspace above the Iranian capital. While Israeli jets have targeted multiple Iranian nuclear sites, the IAF has also been focusing on neutralizing missile depots and missile launchers across the western portion of Iran. Israel's efforts have prevented the Iranian regime from firing an even larger number of missiles at Israeli cities.

Over the weekend, The New York Times reported that Iran initially tried to fire 1,000 ballistic missiles in a single barrage against Israel but only succeeded in launching some 100 missiles because of Israel’s extensive operations across the Islamic Republic.

Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stressed on Sunday that the Iranian nuclear program is an existential threat to Israel and the international community, and claimed that "We always said the best way to prevent that threat, to contain it, remains diplomacy."

While underscoring the urgency of dismantling Iran’s nuclear program, Barrot maintained that this objective could only be achieved through diplomatic channels. However, he offered no details on how Western powers might reach such an agreement.