Tehran shook under a new wave of US–Israeli airstrikes overnight, as cruise missiles and stealth jets slammed into IRGC command centers, radar sites and drone hubs ringing the Iranian capital, pushing the war into its most dangerous phase yet.

Residents described a “night of constant thunder” as explosions rippled across the skyline, knocking out power in several districts and sending thousands rushing to underground shelters. Western officials say the strikes were aimed at “blinding” Iran’s air defenses and crippling its ability to launch long‑range missiles.

Iran wasted no time hitting back. Within hours, salvos of ballistic missiles and swarms of armed drones were launched toward US bases in Iraq and the Gulf, as well as strategic sites in Israel’s Negev desert. Air‑defense batteries lit up the sky; both Washington and Jerusalem acknowledge “hits and damage” but insist their forces remain fully operational.

State TV in Tehran is broadcasting images of wrecked apartment blocks and wounded civilians, framing the bombardment as a “massacre” and vowing an “answer that will make Washington and Tel Aviv tremble.”

Diplomats warn that de‑escalation windows are closing fast. With both sides trading heavy blows directly—on capitals, bases and command networks—the conflict is slipping beyond the realm of proxy skirmishes and into a full‑scale, state‑on‑state war that could redraw the map of the Middle East, and the global order, in real time.