Tehran / Washington — A second straight day of intense US–Israeli strikes is pounding targets across Iran, with the death toll climbing sharply and fears growing that the conflict is sliding into a prolonged, open-ended war with no clear exit.

Iranian authorities report dozens more killed and hundreds injured as waves of cruise missiles, stealth aircraft and armed drones hammer air bases, Revolutionary Guard facilities and suspected missile sites near Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz and along the Gulf coast. Footage circulating on social media shows burning fuel depots, collapsed barracks and chaotic scenes in overwhelmed hospitals as sirens wail almost nonstop.

The Pentagon says the campaign is aimed at “systematically degrading Iran’s ability to launch missiles and direct proxy attacks,” insisting that precision weapons and real‑time surveillance are being used to minimize civilian casualties. Israeli officials, for their part, describe this as “the most significant coordinated operation against Iran’s military infrastructure in its history,” vowing to keep striking “until the threat is neutralized.”

In Tehran, hardline voices are calling for broader retaliation, urging missile attacks on additional US bases and deeper strikes inside Israel. Iran’s leadership has declared the whole region a “legitimate battlefield,” while state TV broadcasts images of funerals and fiery speeches promising revenge.

Global markets are rattled: oil prices have spiked, airlines are rerouting around Iranian airspace and diplomats are scrambling for an emergency ceasefire. But with each new volley, the war is becoming harder to dial back — and the world is left wondering how many more days of “limited strikes” the region can endure before the conflict spins completely out of control.