Tensions in the Middle East have exploded once again as Iran launches a wave of retaliatory attacks following the death of its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, according to Tasnim News Agency. According to Iranian military officials, the country’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has vowed to continue its strikes against the United States and Israel.
Majid Mousavi, commander of the IRGC’s Aerospace Force, announced that Iran’s attacks were aimed at what he called “strategic industries” connected to its enemies. In a post on the social media platform X, he said that Iranian forces had destroyed several major targets, including chemical plants in Ne’ot Hovav, a refinery, two steel factories, and two large aluminum complexes. “These painful attacks will continue until we see the pain in your eyes,” Mousavi warned.
The IRGC also threatened to target the homes of American and Israeli commanders after Iranian residential areas were hit in earlier strikes. These developments follow a massive joint military campaign by the U.S. and Israel in early March, carried out just days after Khamenei was killed in an assassination on February 28. That operation included widespread airstrikes across Iran, hitting both military bases and civilian neighborhoods, which resulted in heavy casualties and widespread destruction.
Since then, Iran has responded with waves of missiles and drones launched against U.S. and Israeli targets throughout the region. Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Iran’s heavy water facility, a key site in its nuclear program, was rendered inoperable after an Israeli strike. The New York Times also reported that a newly developed American missile was used to attack a school and a sports center, drawing strong condemnation from humanitarian groups.
With both sides continuing to exchange fire, the situation remains extremely tense. Analysts warn that if the violence continues unchecked, the region may face one of its most dangerous and unpredictable escalations in decades.
