Following massive airstrikes by Israel and the United States on Iran, rescue teams from the Red Crescent are conducting search operations for those trapped under the rubble in the capital Tehran and the holy city of Qom. At least six people have been killed in the attacks carried out on three residential areas in Qom on Friday.
The Deputy Governor of Qom said the exact number of casualties is still unknown. Meanwhile, the Israeli military has claimed that it targeted leadership infrastructure located in the “heart” of Tehran.
In Iran’s West Azerbaijan province, a direct missile strike hit a residential complex in the city of Urmia. Hamid Safari, director of the province’s disaster management authority, told IRNA news agency that four residential buildings were completely destroyed and several civilians were killed or injured.
Strikes were also reported in Karaj and in industrial areas of Isfahan.
Iran’s Deputy Health Minister Ali Jafarian said that so far 1,937 people have been killed and nearly 25,000 injured in the ongoing conflict. Among the dead are 240 women and 212 children.
Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, warned that Iranians are currently living in extreme fear and trauma. Across the Middle East, around 2,700 people have been killed so far in the conflict, with more than half of the deaths occurring in Iran. Civilians are paying the highest price.
Amid uncertainty over a ceasefire, Iran on Thursday presented its conditions. These include ending the assassination of top leaders, compensation for war damages, and guarantees to prevent future conflict. At the same time, Iran has asserted its “natural and legal rights” over the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. As the waterway remains blocked, a global energy crisis has emerged.
The conflict has spread to Gulf countries as well. Kuwait’s National Guard claimed it had shot down two drones. Meanwhile, missile defense systems have been activated in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.
In addition to the airstrikes in Iran, Israel continues its ground operations in Lebanon. On Friday, Israeli forces ordered residents of the southern Lebanese village of Sajd to evacuate immediately. However, military analysts say that Hezbollah cannot be disarmed through ground operations alone, and a political agreement with the Lebanese government would be necessary—something that remains uncertain.
A closed-door meeting on the Iran situation has been scheduled at the United Nations Security Council in New York at 10:00 AM (local time) on Friday, under the presidency of the United States.
