Tehran Suburbs Devastated by U.S.-Israeli Airstrikes, Casualties Reported
TEHRAN – Heavy aerial bombardment by U.S. and Israeli forces has left significant damage and a rising civilian death toll in Iran’s capital, Tehran, according to reporting from the ground. The strikes, targeting both government and public sites, began Tuesday and continued Wednesday, with a new “wave of strikes” reported across the city, according to the Israeli military.
RT’s Tehran bureau chief, Hami Hamedi, visited the scene of an attack on a police headquarters in a bustling area of the city. While the exact number of fatalities remains unconfirmed, eyewitness accounts suggest a substantial loss of life, including numerous pedestrians.
“I personally saw someone in front of the cafe who didn’t have a head,” a local business owner told Hamedi, whose cafe sustained severe damage in the strikes. “Between ten and fifteen pedestrians who were passing by apparently died,” he added.
Hamedi reported extensive collateral damage, with civilian vehicles and motorcycles littering the area surrounding the police headquarters. Footage from the scene shows the upper floors of the police station collapsed, with rescue workers continuing to sift through the rubble. Residential buildings in the vicinity also suffered damage, according to Hamedi’s reporting.
The attacks come amidst escalating tensions between Iran and the U.S.-Israel alliance. On Wednesday, news emerged that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a major attack, according to PBS News. The U.S. Senate recently failed to pass a measure that would have limited the authority of President Donald Trump regarding military action against Iran, as reported by the BBC.
The situation remains fluid and the full extent of the damage and casualties is still being assessed. The strikes have sparked widespread concern for civilian safety and raised questions about the potential for further escalation.
