Iran strikes Tel Aviv with cluster missiles following assassination of security chief

TEL AVIV: Iran launched a barrage of cluster missiles targeting Tel Aviv in retaliation for the assassination of its security chief, with air raid sirens blaring across the Israeli city before explosions were heard and multiple sites left burning across the metropolitan area.

Sirens followed by blasts across metro area

The Iranian missile attack on Tel Aviv was preceded by the activation of air raid sirens, warning residents of the incoming threat. Shortly after, blasts rocked the city, with fires reported at multiple locations across the greater Tel Aviv metro area.

The strike came as a direct response to the assassination of Iran's security chief, marking a significant escalation in tensions between Tehran and Tel Aviv. Iran confirmed it had launched cluster missiles at the Israeli city, framing the operation as retaliatory action for the killing of its senior security official.

Multiple sites left burning

Reports indicated that the missile strikes left several sites across Tel Aviv ablaze, though the full extent of the damage and any potential casualties remained to be fully assessed. The use of cluster munitions — which disperse smaller submunitions over a wide area — pointed to a calculated effort to inflict widespread damage across the metropolitan area.

The attack represented a dramatic escalation in the ongoing hostilities between Iran and Israel, which have seen a series of tit-for-tat strikes and covert operations in recent months. The assassination of Iran's security chief had been widely expected to provoke a forceful response from Tehran, and the missile strikes on Tel Aviv appeared to fulfil that expectation.

Escalating tensions

The development has sent shockwaves through the region and the international community, raising fears of a broader military confrontation between the two arch-rivals. The targeting of Tel Aviv, Israel's commercial and diplomatic hub, with cluster missiles underscored the gravity of Iran's response and the potential for further escalation.

The situation remained fluid as emergency services in Tel Aviv responded to the aftermath of the strikes, with fires burning at multiple sites across the city. The international community was closely monitoring the developments amid growing concern over the possibility of a wider regional conflict.