The night sky above Tehran turned into a warzone as waves of Israeli warplanes roared over the capital, pounding military sites and strategic infrastructure in the most dramatic escalation of the conflict so far, defence and local sources say.

Residents across western and northern Tehran reported low‑flying jets and the whistle of incoming munitions before a series of massive explosions rocked the city. Phone videos show orange fireballs rising from the outskirts, followed by shockwaves that shattered windows and plunged several districts into darkness.

Iranian state media acknowledges “enemy air attacks” on air‑defence batteries, Revolutionary Guard command compounds and facilities linked to Iran’s missile and drone programmes near the city. Unverified footage from the scene shows burning hangars, collapsed warehouses and ambulances racing through debris‑strewn streets. Hospitals in the capital report dozens of dead and wounded, including both military personnel and civilians hit by flying glass and falling masonry.

Israeli officials, speaking off the record, describe the raid as a “strategic message” aimed at the heart of Iran’s war machine, claiming precision hits on underground bunkers and control centres that survived earlier US strikes. Tehran calls the assault a “red‑line violation” and vows that ballistic missiles will answer “deep inside occupied territory.”

As smoke hangs over Tehran and air‑raid sirens continue to echo, diplomats fear the war has entered a new, far more dangerous phase — one in which the capitals themselves have become front‑line targets, and every new sortie risks triggering a spiral neither side can easily stop.