Explosions have rocked Tehran. US and Israeli aircraft have targeted multiple locations across the Iranian capital, including a police headquarters on one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares.
The facility sustained catastrophic damage, with its upper floors collapsing into rubble. Rescue crews continue working at the scene, heavy machinery clawing through concrete and twisted metal in search of survivors.
RT’s Tehran bureau chief Hami Hamedi surveyed the destruction firsthand on Tuesday. The precise number of fatalities remains unknown.
“As you can see, there were residential buildings across from this police station, all of which have been damaged,”
Hamedi reports that residential structures opposite the police compound suffered extensive harm. The surrounding streets tell a grim story, burned-out cars and motorcycles scattered across the blast zone. Eyewitness accounts describe a sudden, devastating impact.
“I personally saw someone in front of the cafe who didn’t have a head,”
A cafe owner whose business lies in ruins shared his testimony with Hamedi. The same witness estimated the civilian toll.
“Between ten and fifteen pedestrians who were passing by apparently died,”
The bombardment lasted mere seconds, multiple projectiles striking the police installation almost simultaneously.
Casualties Mount On Both Sides
The human cost extends far beyond this single attack. Monitoring groups report that more than 1,000 people have died in Iran since the aerial campaign commenced, with civilians among the dead. Israel has not escaped unscathed, Iranian retaliation having claimed at least 12 lives there.
The exchange of fire shows no sign of abating. Iranian forces have maintained their response against Israeli and American positions, with detonations reported overnight in Jerusalem and surrounding districts.
Conflict Spreads Across Region
Israel has announced a fresh wave of attacks on Tehran while escalating its bombardment of what it describes as Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut. This expansion threatens to engulf neighboring territories in the violence.
American military commanders have outlined ambitious objectives. CENTCOM has confirmed the deployment of over 50,000 personnel, approximately 200 fighter aircraft, two carrier groups and strategic bombers. Commanders intend to push strikes progressively deeper into Iranian territory.
Naval warfare has already claimed significant losses. An American submarine torpedoed an Iranian frigate in the Indian Ocean. Sri Lankan authorities coordinated the rescue of sailors from the vessel, which carried roughly 180 crew members, though dozens remain unaccounted for or presumed dead.
Iranian forces have responded by targeting American military infrastructure throughout the Gulf region. Missiles and drones have struck bases, airfields and radar installations in Kuwait and Bahrain. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has asserted control over the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which much of the world’s oil and natural gas flows. Commercial shipping has largely abandoned the route, energy markets convulsing at the prospect of prolonged disruption.
Political Dimensions Deepen
Washington’s domestic politics have shaped the military trajectory. Legislators defeated a proposal that would have constrained President Donald Trump’s authority to order additional attacks, ensuring the campaign proceeds without fresh congressional authorization.
Moscow has entered the diplomatic fray, condemning what it termed the American practice of political assassinations and the hunting of leaders of sovereign states. The Kremlin indicates that President Vladimir Putin is actively pursuing avenues to de-escalate the crisis.
Conflicting narratives have emerged from within the US administration regarding the war’s origins. Trump maintains that he launched preemptive action based on intelligence suggesting Iran was preparing its own attack. Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a different rationale, stating that Washington intervened to support Israel amid concerns that Tehran would target American forces following Israeli operations.
Live updates are not independently verified. Sources are provided where possible.
