Night skies over Iran lit up in four directions as powerful explosions were reported in the key cities of Isfahan, Qom, Karaj and Kermanshah, following what officials in Tel Aviv are describing as a “targeted defensive operation” by the Israel Defense Forces.

Residents shared shaky videos of fireballs and anti‑aircraft tracers over Isfahan — home to major air bases and sensitive nuclear‑related facilities — while in the holy city of Qom, sirens wailed as blasts echoed from military zones on the outskirts. In Karaj, west of Tehran, witnesses reported hits near industrial complexes and a suspected drone site. Kermanshah, a strategic hub near the Iraqi border, also saw multiple impacts.

Israeli sources claim the strikes focused on IRGC missile depots, drone launch facilities and command centers linked to recent attacks on Israel. “We hit the launchers, not the people,” one senior official said, insisting the action was pre‑emptive and tightly calibrated.

Tehran paints a very different picture. State media accuses Israel of “naked aggression” and insists most incoming weapons were intercepted, while acknowledging “some damage” and casualties. Revolutionary Guard units have been placed on high alert, and officials are promising a “painful response at a time of our choosing.”

Across the region, U.S. and Gulf forces have quietly raised their alert levels, fearing that tonight’s strikes could trigger a wider missile and proxy war stretching from Lebanon to the Strait of Hormuz. For millions watching the flashes over Isfahan, Qom, Karaj and Kermanshah, one fear now hangs in the air: this may not be the climax of the crisis, but only the opening round.