Day 17 of war: US and Israel hit key Iranian targets, Tehran retaliates with waves of drones and missiles

Tehran (Web Desk): The ongoing wave of US and Israeli strikes on Iran has entered its seventeenth day, with multiple explosions reported across the capital Tehran and several other cities.

In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched the 57th wave of retaliatory attacks under ‘Operation Wada-e-Sadiq-4’ (Operation True Promise 4), targeting Israeli and American positions.

The strikes reportedly ignited fires in several areas of Israel, causing damage to buildings and vehicles.
According to available reports, more than 1,500 people have been killed in Iran so far, while over 18,000 have sustained injuries.

In neighbouring Lebanon, nearly 900 civilians have also lost their lives. Israel has reported at least 15 fatalities and hundreds injured, though officials there have not disclosed final casualty figures.

The conflict has increasingly spilled into other parts of the region. In Iraq’s capital Baghdad, the US embassy has come under repeated rocket and drone attacks.

In Abu Dhabi, authorities managed to bring a fire under control following a drone strike, while reports suggest that the number of Iranian attacks targeting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has surpassed 1,900.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi stated that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed to adversaries and ruled out any possibility of negotiations or a ceasefire with the United States.

Meanwhile, senior Iranian official Ali Larijani has written to Muslim countries, urging unity against what he described as US-Israeli aggression.

The IRGC continues to carry out strikes using a range of missiles and drones against designated targets.

Amid the escalating tensions, the European Union (EU) has declined to participate in any military operations in the region, instead emphasizing diplomacy as the preferred path to de-escalation.

In Tehran, explosions were heard near key locations including the Saadabad Palace complex, while reports of aerial strikes have also emerged from other cities such as Shiraz and Karaj, underscoring the widening scope of the conflict.