Tehran — Towering plumes of black and grey smoke rose over central Tehran today after a wave of Israeli airstrikes slammed into what officials in Jerusalem describe as “the heart of Iran’s command network,” jolting the capital and sending shockwaves across the region.

Residents reported a string of deafening explosions near key government and Revolutionary Guard facilities shortly after dawn. Traffic cameras captured panicked drivers abandoning cars on main avenues as windows shattered, alarms blared and dust clouds rolled through office districts once considered relatively insulated from the front lines.

Footage shared on social media shows burning vehicles, collapsed facades and crowds rushing wounded people on makeshift stretchers toward overwhelmed hospitals. “We thought the war was far away,” said one stunned shopkeeper, standing in front of a blown‑out storefront. “Now it is literally on our street.”

The Israeli military says the strikes used long‑range, precision munitions launched from outside Iranian airspace, targeting “high‑value intelligence, missile‑coordination and drone‑warfare hubs” allegedly responsible for recent attacks on Israeli cities and U.S. bases. Officials insist the operation was carefully planned to avoid “unnecessary civilian casualties,” and claim early intelligence indicates “multiple senior IRGC operatives” were hit.

Iranian state television has condemned the assault as a “criminal strike on the capital of the Resistance,” reporting dozens killed and many more injured, including civilians. Hardline commentators are demanding direct retaliation on major Israeli population centers and U.S. military facilities across the Gulf, warning that “all options are now on the table.”

Diplomats fear Israel’s decision to hit so visibly inside central Tehran marks a dangerous crossing of psychological and strategic red lines. With smoke still rising over the city and both sides trading threats of broader escalation, analysts warn that the conflict is entering a phase where miscalculation, rather than strategy, could determine what happens next.