Khomeini Airport denies Israeli strike as video shows explosion nearby

The Israeli Air Force shot down a drone launched from Iran over the Jordan Valley on Sunday, the military said, as waves of drones continued to target the country throughout the day.

Dozens of drones have been launched from Iran since morning, with the majority intercepted before entering Israeli airspace, according to the IDF.

Large numbers of Tehran residents began leaving the city Sunday as Israeli airstrikes targeted multiple areas across the capital, including Niavaran, Azadi, and central districts, according to eyewitness accounts and traffic officials.

The head of Iran’s traffic police said vehicle flow at Tehran’s main exits had surged, especially on the Tehran-North highway, the Tehran-Qom route, and the Haraz road.

Israeli media said multiple designated targets in Tehran were struck simultaneously. One viewer from southern Tehran told Iran International, “They just hit now. Khamenei, end this war.”

100%

Israeli forces struck Iran’s Intelligence Ministry building on Khajeh Abdollah Street in Tehran, the news website Khabar Online reported Sunday, citing local sources.

Didban Iran also reported an explosion near Tehran’s police command headquarters in the Police district.

Videos reviewed by Iran International show heavy damage in the Niroo Havaei neighborhood, with several buildings destroyed amid ongoing Israeli attacks.

The extent of casualties remains unclear.

Israeli airstrikes struck across Tehran from east to west and north to south on Sunday, with explosions reported in Niavaran, Azadi Stadium, Keshavarz Boulevard, and the Niroo Havaei district, according to videos and Iranian media reports.

Footage shared with Iran International showed thick smoke rising from Keshavarz Boulevard following a direct hit.

Another viewer reported a blast near Tehran’s Azadi Stadium, while Tasnim News Agency confirmed a strike in the eastern Niroo Havaei area.

Smoke now blankets much of Tehran’s skyline, as multiple districts reel from the latest wave of attacks.

Continued Israeli attacks would draw even more painful and forceful responses, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said during a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Sunday, according to Iranian state media.

“We were not the ones who started this war, but we responded decisively,” he said.

Pezeshkian called Israel’s strike on Iranian territory via Iraqi airspace a clear act of aggression and urged Baghdad to better safeguard its skies.

100%