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Intense Tehran bombing
Residents in Tehran described one of the most intense nights of bombing since the start of the war between Iran, the United States and Israel.
They said explosions shook buildings and lit up the night sky as waves of strikes hit the capital.
Conflict timeline and warnings
The conflict, which began with US–Israeli attacks on Iranian targets on February 28, has entered its second week with both sides escalating military operations across the region.
According to reports, multiple Iranian cities were hit during the same wave of attacks, including Isfahan and Karaj.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had earlier warned that Tuesday would be “our most intense day of strikes inside Iran”.
Civilian accounts and impact
Civilians described terrifying scenes: Sima, a 38-year-old resident of western Tehran speaking anonymously to Al Jazeera, said the noise of aircraft and explosions lasted for long stretches.
She said, "It felt like tens of fighter jets were flying right above our heads for 15 minutes straight at first, then a few minutes of pause before the next rounds of strikes came in."
She said, "The ground and the windows and our hearts were shaking, but we took shelter in our bathroom and got through it."
Residents said the bombardment briefly turned night into day as bright flashes illuminated large parts of the city and prompted some people to rush to rooftops or balconies to record the strikes despite the danger.
Regional escalation and responses
Residents also described the lack of formal civil defence: many focused on finding shelter in basements, parking garages or interior rooms because Tehran lacks extensive civilian shelters or siren systems.
Alireza, a 25-year-old in central Tehran, said he kept his front door unlocked to run to the building’s underground parking area, that he was "going crazy" with endless communications to see what was hit, and that "There’s hardly any information in this internet shutdown."
The strikes in Tehran came as the war expanded across the wider Middle East—state broadcaster IRIB said Iranian forces launched the "most intense and heaviest" missile barrage of the conflict targeting Israeli cities including Tel Aviv and Haifa.
Iranian missiles and drones were reported heading towards American and allied facilities across the Gulf, with air defences activated in several countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which said it intercepted multiple incoming threats.
Meanwhile the US military reported destroying 16 Iranian mine-laying boats near the Strait of Hormuz after warnings that Tehran could attempt to block the critical oil shipping route.
