Iranian missile fired on Tel Aviv after U.S. strikes causes heavy damage but few injuries
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Diverging Reports Breakdown
4 ways Tehran could retaliate after U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear program
Iran has spent decades building multi-tiered military capabilities at home and across the region. By entering Israel’s war, the U.S. may have removed the last rationale for holding them in reserve. Iran could also choose to attack key oil and gas facilities in those countries with the goal of exacting a higher price for U.N. Security Council members. Iran has long pledged to uphold freedom of navigation in the strait and would respond with far superior forces. But even Israel, which is several hundred kilometers (miles) further away, has been unable to stop all of the incoming fire. The United States has tens of thousands of troops stationed in the region, including at permanent bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Arab Gulf countries just across the Persian Gulf from Iran — and much closer than Israel. It could be days or weeks before the full impact of the full cost of the attacks on Iran is known to the world. The world is watching and waiting.
That could mean a wave of attacks on U.S. forces in the Middle East, an attempt to close a key bottleneck for global oil supplies or a dash to develop a nuclear weapon with what remains of Iran’s disputed program after American strikes on three key sites.
WATCH: Trump addresses the nation after U.S. bombs 3 Iranian nuclear sites
A decision to retaliate against the U.S. and its regional allies would give Iran a far larger target bank and one that is much closer than Israel, allowing it to potentially use its missiles and drones to greater effect. The U.S. and Israel have far superior capabilities, but those haven’t always proven decisive in America’s recent history of military interventions in the region.
Ever since Israel started the war with a surprise bombardment of Iran’s military and nuclear sites on June 13, Iranian officials from the supreme leader on down have warned the U.S. to stay out, saying it would have dire consequences for the entire region.
It should soon be clear whether those were empty threats or a grim forecast.
Here’s a look at what Iran’s next move might be.
Targeting the Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, through which some 20% of all oil traded globally passes, and at its narrowest point it is just 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide. Any disruption there could send oil prices soaring worldwide and hit American pocketbooks.
Iran boasts a fleet of fast-attack boats and thousands of naval mines that could potentially make the strait impassable, at least for a time. It could also fire missiles from its long Persian Gulf shore, as its allies, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, have done in the Red Sea.
The U.S., with its 5th Fleet stationed in nearby Bahrain, has long pledged to uphold freedom of navigation in the strait and would respond with far superior forces. But even a relatively brief firefight could paralyze shipping traffic and spook investors, causing oil prices to spike and generating international pressure for a ceasefire.
Attacking U.S. bases and allies in the region
The U.S. has tens of thousands of troops stationed in the region, including at permanent bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Arab Gulf countries just across the Persian Gulf from Iran — and much closer than Israel.
Those bases boast the same kinds of sophisticated air defenses as Israel, but would have much less warning time before waves of missiles or swarms of armed drones. And even Israel, which is several hundred kilometers (miles) further away, has been unable to stop all of the incoming fire.
Iran could also choose to attack key oil and gas facilities in those countries with the goal of exacting a higher price for U.S. involvement in the war. A drone attack on two major oil sites in Saudi Arabia in 2019 — claimed by the Houthis but widely blamed on Iran — briefly cut the kingdom’s oil production in half.
Activating regional allies
Iran’s so-called Axis of Resistance — a network of militant groups across the Middle East, is a shadow of what it was before the war ignited by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel out of the Gaza Strip — but it still has some formidable capabilities.
Israel’s 20-month war in Gaza has severely diminished the Palestinian Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups, and Israel mauled Lebanon’s Hezbollah last fall, killing most of its top leadership and devastating much of southern Lebanon, making its involvement unlikely.
But Iran could still call on the Houthis, who had threatened to resume their attacks in the Red Sea if the U.S. entered the war, and allied militias in Iraq. Both have drone and missile capabilities that would allow them to target the United States and its allies.
Iran could also seek to respond through militant attacks further afield, as it is widely accused of doing in the 1990s with an attack on a Jewish community center in Argentina that was blamed on Tehran and Hezbollah.
A sprint toward nuclear arms
It could be days or weeks before the full impact of the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites is known.
But experts have long warned that even joint U.S. and Israeli strikes would only delay Iran’s ability to develop a weapon, not eliminate it. That’s because Iran has dispersed its program across the country to several sites, including hardened, underground facilities.
Iran would likely struggle to repair or reconstitute its nuclear program while Israeli and U.S. warplanes are circling overhead. But it could still decide to fully end its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and abandon the the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
North Korea announced its withdrawal from the treaty in 2003 and tested a nuclear weapon three years later, but it had the freedom to develop its program without punishing airstrikes.
Iran insists its program is peaceful, though it is the only non-nuclear-armed state to enrich uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. U.S. intelligence agencies and the IAEA assess Iran hasn’t had an organized military nuclear program since 2003.
Israel is widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East but does not acknowledge having such weapons.
Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Live updates: U.S. claims strikes caused ‘severe damage’ and warns Iran against retaliation
Iran sent a communiqué to Trump in the days before last night’s strikes on its nuclear facilities. It threatened to activate sleeper-cell terror inside the United States if it were attacked, sources said. The message got to Trump through an intermediary at the Group of Seven summit in Canada last week. Trump vowed yesterday on social media that any Iranian retaliation against the U.S. “WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSed TONIGHT”
The message got to Trump through an intermediary at the Group of Seven summit in Canada last week, which Trump left early June 16 to consider his options amid the conflict between Israel and Iran, according to sources who include two U.S. officials and a person with knowledge of the threat.
The White House did not respond to multiple requests for comment, and the Iranian Mission to the United Nations declined to comment.
Show more
Trump vowed yesterday on social media that any Iranian retaliation against the United States “WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT.”
His administration, as well as law enforcement agencies in key cities, are on high alert for any potential retaliation inside the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security warned in a statement today that the “Iran conflict is causing a heightened threat environment in the United States.”
The statement said there could be an increased possibility of terrorist attacks in the U.S. homeland, particularly “if Iranian leadership issued a religious ruling calling for retaliatory violence against targets in the Homeland.” It also said Iran could launch cyberattacks on U.S. networks and target current and former U.S. government officials whom Tehran blames for the 2020 assassination of the top Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani.
Iran has struggled to stage operations in the United States in the past.
Vice President JD Vance said today on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that the administration is looking at the possibility of a homeland attack “very closely,” and he expressed confidence that law enforcement can handle the threat.
One point of concern, he said, is a lack of “full accounting” of those who may have entered the country during President Joe Biden’s term without proper vetting. “We know that some of those people were on terrorism watch lists,” Vance said.
A European diplomat working on the Iran issue said the United States and its allies also believe Iran has the capability to attack European and American nationals beyond U.S. soil and beyond the Middle East.
WATCH: UN Security Council holds emergency meeting after U.S. strikes on Iran
Iran says U.S. crossed “a very big red line” with its risky decision to strike three Iranian nuclear sites. U.N. nuclear watchdog’s Board of Governors planned to hold an emergency meeting Monday. President Donald Trump, who acted without congressional authorization, earlier warned of additional strikes if Tehran retaliated. Iran says the time for diplomacy had passed and that it has the right to defend itself.“We are very close to achieving our goals,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Sunday.. The United States inserted itself into a war it spent decades trying to avoid. Failure — or overreach — could plunge the United States into another long and unpredictable conflict, analysts say. The future of worldwide. efforts to contain the spread of nuclear weapons would be at stake in the days ahead, they say, and global efforts at. nuclear non-proliferation “could crumble.’“The damage is deep,’ Israeli army spokesman Effie Defrin said.
Watch the U.N. Security Council’s emergency meeting in the player above.
Some observers warned that the future of worldwide efforts to contain the spread of nuclear weapons would be at stake in the days ahead.
Iran lashed out at the U.S. for crossing “a very big red line” with its risky decision to strike three Iranian nuclear sites with missiles and 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs.
“The U.S. has attacked us; what would you do in such a situation? Naturally, they must receive a response to their aggression,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said during a call with France’s leader, according to the president’s website.
READ MORE: 4 ways Tehran could retaliate after U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear program
Iran’s U.N. ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, told an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council that the U.S. “decided to destroy diplomacy,” and that the Iranian military will decide the “timing, nature and scale” of the country’s “proportionate response.”
Fears of a wider regional conflict loomed large. Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, said any country used by the U.S. to strike Iran ”will be a legitimate target for our armed forces,” the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
The Trump administration sent a clear message that it wanted to restart diplomatic talks with Iran. “Let’s meet directly,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview with CBS. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. “does not seek war.”
But Tehran said the time for diplomacy had passed and that it has the right to defend itself. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was flying to Moscow to coordinate with close ally Russia.
President Donald Trump, who acted without congressional authorization, earlier warned of additional strikes if Tehran retaliated against U.S. forces. Tens of thousands of American troops are based in the Middle East.
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran confirmed attacks on the Fordo and Natanz enrichment facilities, as well as the Isfahan nuclear site. Iran and the U.N. nuclear watchdog said there were no immediate signs of radioactive contamination around them.
Trump claimed the U.S. “completely and fully obliterated” the sites, but the Pentagon reported “sustained, extremely severe damage and destruction.” Israeli army spokesman Effie Defrin said “the damage is deep,” but an assessment with the U.S. continued.
WATCH: What we know about the U.S.’ unprecedented direct attack on Iran
“We are very close to achieving our goals” in removing Iran’s nuclear and missile threats, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Sunday.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, told the U.N. Security Council that no one was in a position to assess the underground damage at Fordo, which is dug deep into a mountain, but visible craters tracked with the U.S. announcements. He said IAEA inspectors should be allowed to look at the sites. The U.N. nuclear watchdog’s Board of Governors planned to hold an emergency meeting Monday.
Grossi stressed that a path for diplomacy remained, but if that fails, “violence and destruction could reach unthinkable levels,” and global efforts at nuclear nonproliferation “could crumble.”
With the attack that was carried out without detection, the United States inserted itself into a war it spent decades trying to avoid. Success could mean ending Iran’s nuclear ambitions and eliminating the last significant state threat to the security of Israel, its close ally. Failure — or overreach — could plunge the U.S. into another long and unpredictable conflict.
For Iran’s supreme leader, it could mark the end of a campaign to transform the Islamic Republic into a greater regional power that holds enriched nuclear material a step away from weapons-grade. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last spoke publicly on Wednesday, warning the U.S. that strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will “result in irreparable damage for them.”
Iran, battered by Israel’s largest-ever assault on it that began on June 13, has limited options for retaliation, as key allies have mostly stayed out of the conflict. It could attack U.S. forces stationed in the Middle East with the missiles and rockets that Israel hasn’t destroyed. It could attempt to close a key bottleneck for global oil supplies, the Strait of Hormuz, between it and the United Arab Emirates.
Or it could hurry to develop a nuclear weapon with what remains of its program. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said its program will not be stopped.
New questions about Iran’s nuclear stockpile
Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program was peaceful, and U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran is not actively pursuing a bomb. However, Trump and Israeli leaders have argued that Iran could quickly assemble a nuclear weapon.
Israel has significantly degraded Iran’s air defenses and offensive missile capabilities and damaged its nuclear enrichment facilities. But only the U.S. military has the bunker-buster bombs that officials believe offered the best chance of destroying sites deep underground. A total of 14 of the bombs were used on Natanz and Fordo, according to the Pentagon.
WATCH: How Iran could respond to U.S. strikes on its nuclear sites
Experts scrambled to answer the urgent question: What has happened to Iran’s stockpile of uranium and centrifuges?
Satellite images taken by Planet Labs PBC after the U.S. strikes, analyzed by The Associated Press, show damage to the facility. They suggest Iran packed the entrance tunnels to Fordo with dirt and had trucks at the facility ahead of the strikes.
Several Iranian officials, including Atomic Energy Organization of Iran spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi, have claimed Iran removed nuclear material from targeted sites.
Before the Israeli military campaign began, Iran said it had declared a third, unknown site as a new enrichment facility.
“Questions remain as to where Iran may be storing its already enriched stocks … as these will have almost certainly been moved to hardened and undisclosed locations, out of the way of potential Israeli or U.S. strikes,” said Darya Dolzikova, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute focused on nonproliferation issues.
Global leaders responded with shock and calls for restraint. Egypt warned of “grave repercussions” for the region. Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s Middle East-based Fifth Fleet, called on Iran and the U.S. to “quickly resume talks.”
Trump’s decision and the risks
The decision to attack was a risky one for Trump, who won the White House partly on the promise of keeping America out of costly foreign conflicts.
But Trump also vowed that he would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. He initially hoped that the threat of force would bring the country’s leaders to give up its nuclear program.
For Netanyahu, the strikes were the culmination of a decades-long campaign to get the U.S. to strike Israel’s chief regional rival and its disputed nuclear program. Netanyahu praised Trump, saying his decision “will change history.”
Israel is widely believed to be the only Middle Eastern country with nuclear weapons, but the country has never acknowledged it.
Iran and Israel trade more attacks
Israel’s military chief, Lt. Gen. Eyal Amir, called the U.S. attack a key “turning point” but added: “We still have targets to strike and objectives to complete.”
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it launched a barrage of 40 missiles at Israel, including its Khorramshahr-4, which can carry multiple warheads. Israeli authorities said more than 80 people suffered mostly minor injuries.
Late Sunday, the Israeli military said it again struck military infrastructure sites in Tehran and western Iran. Earlier, explosions boomed in Bushehr, home to Iran’s only nuclear power plant, three semiofficial media outlets reported. Israel’s military said it struck missile launchers in Bushehr, Isfahan and Ahvaz, as well as a command center in the Yazd area where it said Khorramshahr missiles were stored.
Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 865 people and wounded 3,396 others, according to the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists. The group said of those dead, it identified 363 civilians and 215 security force personnel. In Israel, at least 24 people have been killed and over 1,000 wounded.
At Turkey’s border with Iran, one departing Iranian defended his country’s nuclear program.
“We were minding our own business,” Behnam Puran said.
Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi, Mehdi Fattahi and Amir Vahdat in Iran; Aamer Madhani in Morristown, New Jersey; Julia Frankel in Jerusalem; Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv; Lolita Baldor in Narragansett, Rhode Island; Samy Magdy in Cairo; Rusen Takva in Van, Turkey; Joah Boak in Washington; Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this story.
Countdown to WWIII? Will Iran’s response to US strikes spark the first Nuclear-age war?
US President Donald Trump ordered strikes on Iran’s three most sensitive nuclear enrichment sites. Iran’s leaders are now under pressure to respond. Some in Tehran argue a strong reaction is necessary to maintain credibility, while others warn of devastating consequences. A major escalation could lead to more US strikes, risking the collapse of Iran’s infrastructure. But doing nothing could make the regime appear weak, embolden its adversaries, and alienate its support base. The United States has a formidable presence in the region—40,000 troops across 19 bases, including sites in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE and the UAE. Each of these bases may now face the threat of an Iranian attack on one of these sites. The stakes are grim. Iran can choose to strike US bases in a limited fashion… or it could go all in and trigger a regional war. The region has seen this before. During the 1980s Tank War, Iran and Iraq targeted each other’s oil exports, causing the most intense attacks on merchant shipping since World War II.
ADVERTISEMENT
Tehran’s dilemma: Retaliate or recalculate?
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Strait of Hormuz: First flashpoint
ADVERTISEMENT
WWIII News: US bases in the crosshairs
Al Udeid Air Base (Qatar): CENTCOM’s forward HQ, hosting 10,000 troops. Crucial for operations in Syria and Iraq.
NSA Bahrain: Home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet. Around 9,000 troops stationed in the heart of the Gulf.
Al-Asad & Harir Bases (Iraq): Targets of past Iranian attacks, including recent strikes linked to Iran-backed militias.
Camp Arifjan & Ali Al-Salem (Kuwait): Major logistics centres housing over 13,000 personnel.
Al Dhafra (UAE): Equipped with F-22s and surveillance assets, housing 3,500 troops.
Axis of Resistance: Recalibrated but not broken
Hezbollah: Severely hit last year. Most of its top commanders are believed dead, and it is unlikely to lead a major counteroffensive.
Hamas & Islamic Jihad: Battered during Israel’s war in Gaza. Their operational capacity is diminished.
Houthis (Yemen): Still active. They’ve pledged to resume attacks in the Red Sea if the US deepens its role.
Shiite Militias (Iraq): Have launched recent drone attacks on US bases. Many are closely aligned with Tehran.
Quds Force: Still in the shadows
Retaliate now or wait? Tehran’s clock is ticking
Immediate retaliation using missiles or drones against US bases and assets.
Delayed retaliation, hitting at a time when American forces are less alert.
No retaliation, instead reopening diplomacy and framing the US strikes as illegal aggression to win global support.
Iran’s playbook: Asymmetric warfare beyond borders
Israel’s war with Iran entered a deadlier phase after US President Donald Trump ordered strikes on Iran’s three most sensitive nuclear enrichment sites—Fordow, Natanz , and Isfahan—in what he described as a clear warning.“The bully of the Middle East must now make peace,” Trump said during a televised address. “There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran.” He added that if Iran retaliates, more strikes would follow “with precision, speed and skill.”According to US officials, B-2 stealth bombers were deployed with GBU-57 “bunker buster” bombs targeting Iran’s hardened underground sites.Iran immediately downplayed the strikes. State media official Hassan Abedini claimed sensitive material had been evacuated in advance. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the attack as a “barbaric violation” of international law and warned, “In accordance with the UN Charter… Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people.”That same night, Iran launched missiles at Israeli cities—signalling the war had just entered a dangerous new stage.Iran’s leaders are now under pressure to respond. Some in Tehran argue a strong reaction is necessary to maintain credibility, while others warn of devastating consequences.“If we do not react, the US will not leave us alone,” said conservative analyst Reza Salehi in Tehran.Jonathan Panikoff of the Atlantic Council summed up the stakes: “Iran can choose to strike US bases in a limited fashion… or it could go all in and trigger a regional war.”The choices are grim. A major escalation could lead to more US strikes, risking the collapse of Iran’s infrastructure. But doing nothing could make the regime appear weak, embolden its adversaries, and alienate its support base.One of the most immediate risks lies in the Strait of Hormuz—a narrow 33-km maritime corridor through which 20% of global oil flows.Iran has long viewed the strait as a pressure point. In past crises, it threatened to mine the area with up to 6,000 naval mines. It could repeat those tactics now, using fast-attack boats and shore-based missiles to block shipping lanes.Disruption here would send oil prices soaring and jolt financial markets worldwide.The region has seen this before. During the 1980s Tanker War, Iran and Iraq targeted each other’s oil exports, causing the most intense attacks on merchant shipping since World War II. Hundreds of civilians died, and the economic ripple effects were global.History could repeat itself.The United States has a formidable presence in the region—40,000 troops across 19 bases, including sites in Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, and the UAE.Each of these bases may now face the threat of Iranian missiles or drone strikes.Meanwhile, US naval power is building. The USS Carl Vinson is already deployed in the Arabian Sea, with the USS Nimitz en route. Additional destroyers are stationed in the Red Sea and Mediterranean.As tensions rise, these assets could be used for defence—or be drawn into a wider confrontation.Iran’s network of proxy forces—known as the Axis of Resistance—has been weakened by Israeli strikes but remains functional.Experts say Iran may also activate overseas operations, similar to the 1994 attack on a Jewish centre in Argentina. These low-cost, high-impact actions fall under Iran’s strategy of asymmetric warfare—a method it has used for decades to pressure more powerful adversaries.The Quds Force, the foreign arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is believed to remain intact despite recent Israeli strikes. Though reports suggest its commander Esmail Qaani may have been targeted, the force’s infrastructure is designed to survive and respond without central command.Created in 1988, the Quds Force runs Iran’s foreign military operations—coordinating proxy groups, funding militias, and carrying out covert missions.Even as Hezbollah is pushed back and Hamas is isolated, this unit offers Iran the means to strike indirectly, globally, and without open attribution.Inside Iran’s decision-making circles, three scenarios are on the table:Each option carries risk. Each could reshape the future of the region.A former Revolutionary Guard commander, Gen. Mohsen Rezaei , had warned before the US strikes, “If Trump enters this conflict, Iran will strike American military assets, mine the Persian Gulf, and attempt to shut the Strait of Hormuz.”That moment may now be at hand.Iran’s strategic doctrine, shaped since the 1979 revolution, relies on asymmetric warfare, actions that blur the lines between overt military response and deniable covert operations.Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has long endorsed a posture of “forward deterrence.” This includes supporting proxy militias, conducting cyber warfare, and even orchestrating targeted killings or foreign sabotage operations.This strategy is executed primarily through the Quds Force, a covert wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Its operatives run clandestine networks in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and further abroad.Despite reports of recent Israeli strikes on IRGC command centres—one of which allegedly killed General Hossein Salami—the infrastructure of the Quds Force remains functional. Field commanders are trained to operate autonomously, with contingency plans for rapid response even under decapitation scenarios.In essence, Iran can still strike without formally taking credit—and it may prefer this method in the coming weeks.Iran’s nuclear programme remains dispersed and partially functional despite the US attack. Though the IAEA and US intelligence say Iran hasn’t pursued a bomb since 2003, enrichment continues at 60%—close to weapons-grade.Experts caution that strikes like these can delay, but not erase, Iran’s capabilities.With diplomatic options fading and public anger rising, the Islamic Republic must now decide: will it retaliate boldly, strike strategically, or attempt to recalibrate?As Trump warned, “Remember, there are many targets left.”
Iranian missile fired after US strikes causes heavy damage but few injuries in Tel Aviv
Deputy Mayor Haim Goren said it was nevertheless “miraculous” that more people were not hurt. One person was moderately wounded by shrapnel in Sunday’s missile barrage. More than 9,000 people have been displaced since the start of the war, Israeli military says. Missiles have damaged 240 residential buildings, including more than 2,000 individual apartments in Tel Aviv, it says.. Mutual aid groups are working around the clock to match families in need with shelters and support, and the municipality is working to convert parking garages, bus stations and train stations to temporary shelters. The strikes are taking a toll, the deputy mayor said, with “a lot of stress and pressure building, lots of nerves”.
“It’s like a typhoon came through my apartment,” said Ofer Berger, who lives near the impact site on the seventh floor of a high-rise. “All of the apartments in this area are destroyed,” he said.
Emergency services said one person was moderately wounded by shrapnel in Sunday’s missile barrage while dozens of others were lightly injured.
Berger said he hoped the war with Iran would end soon. “Most of the tit-for-tat strikes like this end with a lot of tears,” he said.
Residents sat with their pets and suitcases outside the damaged buildings. One person sat next to a shopping cart filled with Buddha statues and a child’s bicycle.
Families gathered what they could and stepped gingerly around piles of glass and twisted metal. Dozens of volunteers from an organization called “One Heart” showed up to help residents salvage their belongings.
Strikes have displaced more than 9,000 people from their homes since the start of the war, according to the Israeli military. Missiles have damaged 240 residential buildings, including more than 2,000 individual apartments.
Mira Goshen, 79, said her entire apartment was destroyed.
“My mamad was shaking like a leaf, and I thought it was the end of the world,” Goshen said, referring to the reinforced safe rooms that are required in all new construction. She said the shelter had saved her life. In some areas where entire homes were flattened, the reinforced rooms stood intact.
Goshen’s pet bird, Chica, survived an 11-story drop when her cage was knocked off the balcony by the explosion. A rescuer retrieved her, and she was trembling and burrowing into Goshen’s neck hours later as Goshen spoke with neighbors and authorities outside her building.
Hours later, municipality workers worked to sweep up the the shattered glass and remove debris, while others handed out sandwiches and water at an aid station.
Several businesses on a nearby street had their windows blown out, and the stores were littered with broken glass amid baked goods, children’s clothes and books. Workers at a supermarket stacked crates of fruit in front of a shattered front window and opened for shoppers, who packed the aisles.
Residents appeared calm in the aftermath of Sunday’s strike, but Goren said the nightly barrages, the frantic running to shelters and the close confines inside them are taking a toll.
“There’s a lot of stress and pressure building, lots of nerves,” the deputy mayor said. Mutual aid groups are working around the clock to match families in need with shelters and support, and the municipality is working to convert parking garages, bus stations and train stations to temporary shelters.
Goshen said she was more focused on where she would go next than on the U.S. strikes on Iran and their aftermath.
“I’m far away from politics, and what I think, it doesn’t matter actually, because they don’t listen to ordinary people,” she said.
Credit: AP Credit: AP
Credit: AP Credit: AP
Credit: AP Credit: AP