Daijiworld Media Network- Tehran
Tehran, Jun 18: Israel’s military campaign against Iran, launched under the codename Operation Rising Lion, has spiraled into a ferocious aerial conflict, pushing the region into a crisis of unprecedented scale. What began as targeted strikes by Israeli forces on June 13 has now evolved into a relentless exchange of missiles, with both nations suffering heavy casualties and damage.
Israel's initial offensive saw the elimination of over 220 Iranian nationals, including intelligence chiefs, top military commanders, and as many as 14 nuclear scientists. These strikes targeted Iran’s strategic sites, including nuclear facilities at Natanz and Isfahan, missile launch sites, IRGC headquarters in Tehran, and key energy infrastructures like the South Pars gas field.
However, Iran’s response was far swifter and more aggressive than many in Tel Aviv had anticipated. For the fifth consecutive day, Iranian missiles have rained down on Israeli cities including Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Rishon LeZion, killing at least 14 civilians and injuring many others. Residential buildings have been reduced to rubble, igniting fires and triggering massive evacuations.
In Tel Aviv, once a symbol of safety and modern resilience, fear has taken hold. Schools and offices have been shuttered, public gatherings banned, and bomb shelters filled with frightened residents. “We are now living with this feeling of helplessness,” said Ella Keren, a nurse, describing the uncertainty that haunts every nightfall.
Israel’s much-vaunted Iron Dome defence system, which once intercepted short-range rockets from Gaza with 90% accuracy, is struggling to cope with the scale and sophistication of Iranian ballistic missiles. The new wave of strikes—carrying heavier warheads and advanced targeting—have penetrated defences, displacing over 2,700 people and severely damaging civilian infrastructure.
In Petach Tikva, four lives were lost when a missile tore through an apartment complex. In Haifa, a direct strike on the city’s oil refinery killed three more. For many, survival now depends on luck and shelter.
“I don’t know if my neighbours survived,” said Idan Tal Mor, a theatre teacher from Tel Aviv who returned home after an air raid to find his windows shattered. He has since fled to Hadera. Meanwhile, Dana Avesar, a start-up employee, has taken refuge at a remote pineapple farm after her neighbourhood came under fire. “I don’t want to go to sleep, because I don’t want another thing to happen,” she said.
While Israeli jets continue to pound Iranian installations with precision, the intensity of the counter-assault from Tehran has marked a turning point. For the first time in decades, Israelis are confronting a war that directly threatens their homes, their cities, and their long-standing confidence in national security.
As missiles light up the skies of both nations, a grim uncertainty looms—where this war leads next remains unclear, but the scars it leaves are already deep and lasting.