Iranian armed forces have launched the tenth phase of Operation True Promise III by firing a barrage of missiles and drones toward the occupied territories.
The new phase began at around 7.10pm local time on Tuesday, following nine previous phases since June 13 that have inflicted heavy blows on the occupying Israeli regime.
Launches in the new wave were carried out from various parts of the country, with both missiles and drones.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Iranian armed forces announced that over the past 24 hours, 28 types of hostile aircraft were identified, intercepted, and shot down by Iran’s integrated air defence network.
It further said that the confrontation between the country’s air defences and the invading aircraft, an enemy Hermes spy drone that was attempting to spy on sensitive locations was identified, intercepted, and shot down by air defence with precision fire.
In an emotional but power-packed press briefing on Monday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei condemned the ‘most brutal aggression’ by the Israeli regime against Iran, marking the fourth day of the campaign of national defence against the ‘blatant act of aggression’ that began early on Friday, June 13.
In his first press conference since the war was imposed on Iran, a sombre Baghaei said the Israeli regime’s blatant aggression, carried out with United States-supplied weaponry, had killed numerous Iranian civilians, including figures in defence, science, and education.
‘During this cruel aggression, a number of our prominent figures and many innocent compatriots were martyred,’ he said, offering condolences to the victims’ families and to all freedom-seeking people of the world.
He emphasised that Iran’s military response was an act of ‘legitimate defence’ under international law and called on the international community to take a clear stand against the continued aggression by the Zionist regime.
‘Those who supported or attempted to justify this aggression are partners in this crime. Their names will remain etched in memory as accomplices,’ Baghaei warned.
The spokesman drew direct connections between Israel’s aggression against Iran and its ongoing genocidal war in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, denouncing the regime for committing genocide and destabilising the region for decades.
‘This aggression is not an isolated event. It is part of an 80-year-long pattern of bloodshed and occupation,’ he said.
‘Let us not forget the crimes currently unfolding in Palestine just because another atrocity is now underway.’
Baghaei also slammed Western governments for their ‘hypocrisy’ and failure to hold the Israeli regime accountable for its actions.
‘Ambiguous statements that ask Iran to show restraint while ignoring the aggressor are irresponsible and dishonest,’ he said, calling on the United Nations Security Council to urgently act in accordance with the UN Charter.
He further warned that the Israeli aggression threatens Iran’s nuclear facilities in Natanz and Isfahan, in a ‘flagrant violation’ of international norms.
In a powerful closing segment of the press briefing, Baghaei shared personal stories of some of the civilians martyred in the Israeli aggression since June 13, turning the spotlight on individual lives lost in the past four days.
Among them was Ehsan Eshraghi, a humble bank employee and father who was killed along with his nine-year-old daughter when a missile struck their home in Tehran.
‘They had no bombs, no threat – only bread in one hand and love in the other,’ Baghaei said. ‘Their only crime was living.’
He also spoke of Mohammad Mahdi Amini, a young Taekwondo enthusiast who died beneath the rubble of his home.
‘He belonged on the podium of champions, not in the headlines of war,’ Baghaei said, his voice heavy with emotion.
Another victim, Majid Tajan Jari, was described as a prodigy in artificial intelligence who had returned to Iran to serve his country.
‘He didn’t come back for wealth or fame. He came back to teach, to lift others, to create,’ said Baghaei. ‘Hope was his gift – and hope, it seems, was his crime.’
He also spoke of Zahra Shams-Bakhsh, a vibrant young woman known for her adventurous spirit and deep empathy.
‘With that missile from Netanyahu that struck the Sarv-e-Jahan building, not only a life-loving woman was taken, but a promoter of kindness and light was removed from this world.’
Baghaei concluded by appealing to the international community to recognise the gravity of the situation of the Zionist aggression on Iran.
‘If the world truly believes in the rule of law and human dignity, then now is the time to act – not with words, but with accountability,’ he said.
Iran, he affirmed, would continue its response to the continued Zionist aggression ‘with full force, and with reliance on God the Almighty.’
The Israeli regime carried out a fresh act of aggression on Monday by targeting one of the buildings of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) in Tehran.
The attack, involving at least four bombs, struck the central building housing IRIB’s news department, while a live news broadcast was underway.
The transmission was briefly interrupted before Hassan Abedini, IRIB’s news director and deputy for political affairs, appeared on air to condemn the terrorist crime.
At the time of the attack, news anchor Sahar Emami was presenting the news.
Despite the building trembling under the first strike, she stood her ground and continued the broadcast.
‘Allah o Akbar’ (God is Great), she proclaimed, drawing global attention to the heinous war crime committed by the Zionist regime against Iran’s national broadcaster.
Moments later, another blast filled the studio with smoke and dust, forcing her to evacuate.
She returned shortly after to join Abedini and share her harrowing experience.
‘If I die, others will take my place and expose your crimes to the world,’ she declared, looking straight into the camera with resolute courage and composure.
While the number of casualties remains unconfirmed, insiders report that several journalists inside the building were injured in the bombing.
Israel’s war ministry promptly claimed responsibility for the attack.
Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the aggression on the state broadcaster as a ‘war crime’ and called on the United Nations to take immediate action against the Zionist regime.
Foreign ministry spokesman Baghaei denounced the attack and urged the international community to hold the regime accountable for its assault on the media.
‘The world is watching: targeting Iran’s news agency #IRIB’s office during a live broadcast is a wicked act of war crime,’ Baghaei wrote on X.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) also condemned the bombing of the IRIB news building, labelling it ‘inhuman, criminal, and a terrorist act.’
The Committee to Protect Journalists said it was ‘appalled by Israel’s bombing of Iran’s state TV channel while live on air.’
‘Israel’s killing, with impunity, of almost 200 journalists in Gaza has emboldened it to target media elsewhere in the region,’ Sara Qudah, the West Asia representative for CPJ, said in a statement after the attack.
The Israeli regime has a documented history of targeting journalists globally.
Since October 2023, it has killed over 250 Palestinian journalists in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The regime launched its aggression against the Islamic Republic, including Tehran, early last Friday, leading to the assassination of several high-ranking military officials, nuclear scientists, and civilians, including women and children.
In response, Iran launched a barrage of missiles and drones late on Friday night, followed by more retaliatory operations on Saturday and Sunday and into this week as part of True Promise III.
