Iran-Israel conflict enters third night amid escalating strikes, mounting casualties
New Delhi, Jun 15: The conflict between Iran and Israel has intensified into a third consecutive night of airstrikes, with both countries exchanging heavy fire and civilian areas bearing the brunt of the escalation. Iranian officials confirmed that a facility linked to the country’s Ministry of Defence in Isfahan province was targeted amid ongoing Israeli attacks. Meanwhile, Iranian missile strikes across northern and central Israel, including areas near Haifa, Tel Aviv, and Bat Yam that killed at least 10 people, according to local media and medical reports.
The Iranian assault followed a series of Israeli strikes on critical infrastructure within Iran, including a major attack on the Shahran oil facility in Tehran, which triggered a large fire reports BBC. Israeli forces claimed they were targeting facilities linked to Iran’s nuclear weapons programme. Iranian media reports say that more than 80 people, including 20 children, have been killed and over 800 wounded since the strikes began.
Despite the scale of the attacks, Iranian authorities said there were no immediate reports of casualties from the strike on the Ministry of Defence headquarters in Isfahan, though damage assessment is ongoing. In Tehran, a separate Israeli strike targeted the defence ministry’s facilities in the Nobonyad area.
The Israeli military has stepped up pressure on Iran by issuing direct warnings to residents of Tehran and other cities to vacate areas near military installations and weapons production sites. Messages disseminated in Persian on social media and other channels have urged civilians to leave for their own safety, signalling further strikes could follow.
In one such message, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) warned residents: “All individuals located in or near the country’s weapons production facilities and their associated facilities should immediately leave these areas,” reports international media.
While Tehran has not released updated casualty figures from the Israeli strikes, scenes of devastation have emerged from both countries. In Bat Yam, one of the hardest-hit Israeli cities, a 10-storey residential block was reduced to rubble by an Iranian missile. Six people were confirmed dead and at least seven more remained trapped beneath the debris. Rescue operations continued amid shattered buildings and widespread destruction.
The Shahran oil depot in Tehran, which was hit by an Israeli missile, resumed operations shortly after the fire was brought under control. Iran’s National Petroleum Products Distribution Company reported that fuel supplies and exports to Afghanistan remained unaffected despite the attack reports local media.
As strikes continue from both sides, a sixth round of diplomatic talks between the United States and Iran, originally scheduled to address Tehran’s nuclear programme, has been suspended. The diplomatic void has only further fuelled hostilities.
With both nations escalating military actions and the civilian death toll rising, international concern is growing over the potential for a wider regional conflict. Analysts say the current level of violence and rhetoric may mark a dangerous turning point, with both Israel and Iran showing few signs of de-escalation.
