The Israeli military on Tuesday said it carried out overnight air strikes on Iran’s presidential office and the Supreme National Security Council building in Tehran, marking a sharp escalation in its ongoing campaign against the Islamic republic.
"The Israeli Air Force... struck and dismantled facilities within the leadership compound of the Iranian terrorist regime in the heart of Tehran" overnight, the military said.
"During the strike on the compound, numerous munitions were dropped on the presidential office and the building of the Supreme National Security Council," it added.
The strikes came hours after Israel launched new waves of attacks on the Iranian capital following an evacuation warning to residents in parts of Tehran. According to the Israel Defence Forces, civilians in the Evin neighbourhood were asked to leave the area ahead of planned strikes on what Israel described as military infrastructure.
An IDF spokesperson warned that Israeli forces would target Iranian military infrastructure "in the coming hours" and urged civilians to leave, saying, "For your safety and well-being, we request that you immediately evacuate the designated area..." and warned that not evacuating "puts your lives at risk," according to CNN.
Israel said it had also targeted a studio complex of Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB, claiming it had "dismantled the Iranian terrorist regime's communications center." Iran’s state-affiliated Press TV said the broadcaster’s headquarters "has been targeted by US-Israeli airstrikes," but maintained there was no disruption to its channels.
The Israeli Air Force said the site had been "recently used by the Iranian regime's forces to advance military activities under the guise of civilian activity and assets, in addition to the propaganda activities that emanate from the communications center."
The military campaign follows coordinated US and Israeli air strikes on February 28 across multiple Iranian cities, targeting military command centres, air defence systems, missile sites and key regime infrastructure. Those strikes resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and four senior military and security officials, with large explosions reported in Tehran and other cities.
In parallel, Israel issued evacuation warnings in parts of southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburb of Haret Hreik, urging residents to leave areas near what it described as Hezbollah facilities. An IDF spokesperson said civilians should move north of a designated line for their safety.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military confirmed that missiles had been launched from Iran towards Israeli territory, prompting the activation of air defence systems and air raid alerts in several regions.
"The Air Force has identified that a short while ago, missiles were launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defence systems are operating to intercept the threat. In the last few minutes, the Home Front Command has issued a preliminary directive directly to mobile phones in the relevant areas. The public is requested to exercise responsibility and act in accordance with the directives, they save lives," the post read.
"One must enter protected spaces upon receiving the alert and remain in them until a new announcement. Exit from the protected space will be permitted only after receiving an explicit directive; continue to act in accordance with Home Front Command directives," the post further added.
In response to the February 28 strikes, Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones at US assets and regional allies, including Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, widening the conflict and raising concerns over further regional escalation.
