By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
The United States-Israeli military campaign against Iran entered its fifth day on Wednesday, with warplanes bombarding multiple locations across the country and Tehran launching retaliatory strikes across the region. With the death toll mounting and no diplomatic resolution in sight, the conflict threatens to engulf the wider Middle East.
The semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported that explosions reverberated across the Iranian capital, while state television broadcast images of a building reduced to rubble in central Tehran. According to the agency, the death toll from the US-Israeli strikes has surged to 1,045. The holy city of Qom and several other urban centers were also reported to have been hit.
Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall described what the Israeli military is calling “the 10th wave of attacks against Iran.” Vall confirmed that Tehran has been the epicenter of the bombardment, with strikes also reported in Karaj and Isfahan, located east and west of the capital. He noted that at least five people were killed in the latest raids, with unconfirmed reports indicating schools were struck.
The conflict has raised international alarm over the safety of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issued a statement acknowledging visible damage to two buildings near the Isfahan nuclear site. However, the agency emphasized that facilities containing nuclear material were not harmed and that there is currently no risk of radiological release.
Adding to the global concern, the Russian Foreign Ministry warned on Wednesday that Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant is under direct threat from the ongoing air strikes, reporting that explosions were audible just kilometers from its perimeter.
In a significant escalation, Iran continued its promised retaliation, launching salvoes of missiles toward Israel. Air raid sirens wailed across the country, sending residents scrambling for shelters as the Israeli air defense system intercepted incoming threats. The Israeli military confirmed a previous missile launch from Iran earlier in the day and later issued a sweeping alert instructing residents in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and other areas to seek shelter immediately as defense systems worked to “intercept the threat.”
Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim, reporting from Ramallah, described hearing “very loud explosions” due to interceptions. She characterized the Iranian assault as a “wide salvo,” which appeared to challenge Israeli defenses. Israeli media reported that shrapnel from interceptions fell near Beit Shemesh, west of Jerusalem—the same area where a projectile fell two days ago, killing nine Israelis. Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency service, reported no immediate casualties from the latest wave.
On the ground in Iran, the scope of the conflict widened. Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi reported from Tehran that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced its ground forces had entered battlefield operations, successfully engaging 230 drones. Furthermore, the IRGC reported initiating a naval operation targeting US military ships in the region.
The Israeli military claimed responsibility for strikes in Tehran targeting facilities belonging to the Basij, the IRGC’s volunteer force, as well as buildings associated with Iran’s internal security command.
As the fifth day of hostilities concludes, the rhetoric from leadership offers little hope for de-escalation. US President Donald Trump reportedly claimed the conflict could last a month, while Tehran shows no sign of backing down.
“In Tehran, I see no sign of de-escalation, and escalation is the name of the game,” Asadi concluded.
The international community watches with bated breath as a war between two major powers—now involving direct naval threats to the US military—rages with no end in sight.
