Iran retaliates after Israel kills two top Iranian officials : NPR

Iran launched missile attacks on Tel Aviv overnight, following the deaths of Ali Larijani, a key wartime figure after the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Gholamrez Soleimani, head of the Basij paramilitary force. Iranian authorities confirmed their deaths on Tuesday.

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, told Al Jazeera that these killings would not destabilize Iran’s leadership, emphasizing the country’s strong political structure with well-established institutions.

Meanwhile, Israel conducted strikes in central Beirut, resulting in 10 fatalities. The Israeli military stated these attacks targeted Hezbollah militants and installations.

Health officials report approximately 1,300 fatalities in Iran, 922 in Lebanon, and 16 in Israel since the conflict began on February 28. The U.S. Central Command confirmed 13 American service members killed and about 200 wounded.

Here are the latest updates:

Iran retaliates after the deaths of two leaders in Tehran

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced that they targeted the Tel Aviv area on Wednesday using multiple-warhead missiles, also known as cluster munitions.

A man and woman lost their lives in their Ramat Gan apartment, a suburb of Tel Aviv. The Iranian missile assault also inflicted damage on other parts of central Israel, including a Tel Aviv train station.

Iran’s missile strikes have caused the most fatalities in Israel, with at least 16 deaths since the onset of the conflict.

Iran stated that these attacks were in retaliation for Israel’s killing of two high-ranking Iranian leaders, Ali Larijani and Gholamrez Soleimani. These were the most significant assassinations in Iran since Israel’s elimination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top leaders at the war’s start.

Larijani, a prominent figure in Iranian politics, had served as the parliament speaker and as a top adviser to the slain supreme leader. Many speculated that he would succeed Khamenei after his death.

Larijani was also involved in discussions with the Trump administration before the conflict began.

“He seemed to be the one person the international community could talk to, and now with him apparently being killed, it’s difficult to see who one speaks to in the IRGC,” commented Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein, a former Jordanian ambassador to the U.S. who presides over the International Peace Institute. IRGC refers to Iran’s powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

Soleimani, who led the Basij forces for seven years, was part of a volunteer paramilitary militia linked to the Revolutionary Guard. Israel claims this group was responsible for violently suppressing recent street protests against the Iranian government.

— Daniel Estrin

Iran’s foreign minister assures that recent killings won’t destabilize the political system

Following the assassination of two senior leaders, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi emphasized that Iran’s government “does not rely on a single individual” and that the political structure remains unaffected by the presence or absence of any single person.

Araghchi, in an interview with Al Jazeera, reiterated that while individuals play significant roles, the overarching political system in Iran is robust.

— Rebecca Rosman

NPR reports on Iranians fleeing to Iraq amid fear and increased crackdowns

Families crossing from Iran into Iraq at the Haji Omeran border have shared their fears with NPR, describing a widespread sense of apprehension about speaking openly, even after leaving the country.

A woman in her 60s, who preferred anonymity due to fear of government retaliation, expressed her despair, wishing recent airstrikes had ended her life given the unbearable conditions caused by war and security crackdowns.

NPR has heard from multiple sources about internet shutdowns, increased checkpoints, and security forces checking citizens’ phones in Iran.

A 40-year-old man from eastern Iran, who asked to remain unnamed, reported seeing security forces occupy a mosque and sports stadium, indicating heightened security measures.

While NPR cannot verify these accounts independently, they align with reports from human rights organizations and other testimonies shared with NPR.

— Arezou Rezvani

Israel intensifies strikes in central Beirut, warns southern Lebanon

Israel has intensified its military operations in central Beirut, targeting Hezbollah militants and installations. According to Lebanon’s health ministry, 10 people died in two attacks on Wednesday morning.

The Israeli military demolished a building in the Bachoura neighborhood, which had been previously targeted. An evacuation order for the building was issued on social media around 4 a.m. local time, with strikes occurring at approximately 5:30 a.m. Bachoura is a residential and commercial area near the Lebanese prime minister’s office and several foreign embassies in Beirut.

Amid the ongoing attacks, Israel has issued new evacuation orders for parts of southern Lebanon. Lebanon’s health ministry also condemned Israeli strikes that damaged three public hospitals in Nabatieh, a major city in the south.

— Hadeel Al-Shalchi

Daniel Estrin contributed to this report from Tel Aviv, Israel, Hadeel Al-Shalchi from Beirut, Arezou Rezvani from Irbil, in Iraq’s Kurdish region and Rebecca Rosman from Paris.