Iran Launches Eighteenth Wave of ‘Operation True Promise III’ with Devastating Drone and Missile Strikes on Tel Aviv and Haifa

TEHRAN/TEL AVIV— In a dramatic rise in violence, Iran started a huge new wave of attacks on the occupied Palestinian territories early Saturday morning. This was the 18th part of Operation True Promise III. Iran launched a planned attack on key Israeli military and intelligence facilities using long-range ballistic missiles and Shahed-136 combat drones.

Around 3:10 a.m. Iran time, the attack began, lighting up the skies over Tel Aviv and Haifa at night as air raid sirens went off and people rushed into underground bunkers.

There were reports of several explosions in central Tel Aviv, and videos posted online showed at least one missile hitting a high-rise building directly, starting a huge fire. Reports say that Israel’s early warning system didn’t go off in time, which makes me very skeptical about the Iron Dome and other similar defense systems.

Drone swarms hit Tel Aviv and the Krayot area near the port city of Haifa on Friday night, and Israeli media reported that they did a lot of damage in both places. There were also reports of explosions near Ben Gurion Airport and in Beer al-Sabe, a hub for cyber activities.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) confirmed in a statement that the operation was aimed at “military facilities and operational support centers of the Zionist regime’s army.” The IRGC said that several squadrons of Shahed-136 suicide drones were constantly raiding and were able to get through even the most modern Israeli air defense systems.

The IRGC said, “Combined missile and drone operations will continue in a sustained and targeted manner.” They stressed that both solid- and liquid-fueled precision-guided missiles were used, with some being used in combat for the first time.

Among the targets of Friday’s attacks was Israel’s state-run propaganda channel, Channel 14, which had been evacuated after the IRGC sent out a warning. A video supposedly shows smoke rising over the port of Haifa after a direct missile hit it.

An IRGC spokesman said on TV that there would be “more surprises” coming and that Iran’s military operation would not end until Israel stops being aggressive. The spokesperson said, “This sacred defense, with the help of our people, will end in victory.”

Speaking from Geneva after meeting with European peers, Abbas Araghchi, the foreign minister of Iran, said that there would be no diplomatic talks while Israel’s attacks on Iran continue. He stated unequivocally, “We will not engage in talks under fire.”

The latest attack is a turning point in the rapidly worsening conflict in the region, which started last week when Israeli forces killed high-ranking Iranian leaders, nuclear scientists, and civilians. Iran’s response since then has been the most violent ever, hitting military, intelligence, and communication hubs deep inside controlled areas.

Even though the internet is heavily censored and services are often interrupted, videos from the ground keep coming out that show how much damage has been done and how hard it is on the mental health of Israeli settlers who live in areas that are always in danger.

As of now, there have been no official reports of Israeli deaths, but authorities have stated that a lot of damage has been done to infrastructure. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have not yet said everything they want to say about how horrific the attack was.