ISLAMABAD: Monitoring Desk – Iranian Armed Forces have begun a new round of punitive strikes on targets inside Israel in an anticipated wave of retaliation.
The strikes began late on Saturday local time in Iran.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.) said in a press release that the strikes were part of “Operation True Promise 3,” and involved the launch of missiles and drones toward Israeli targets.
As with the previous rounds, footage often captured by Israelis using their cellphone cameras began to flood social media, showing streaks of light from the Iranian missiles in the sky over Haifa before massive explosions occurred on the ground.
Reports say Haifa’s oil refinery was successfully targeted. Israel targeted Iranian energy infrastructure earlier on Saturday.
Earlier rounds of Iran’s punitive strikes caused massive destruction in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Meanwhile in Tehran, the Israeli regime hit an oil depot in a western neighborhood, causing a fire. The Oil Ministry announced that a fuel tank was also targeted in southern Iran but didn’t provide more information.
The Israeli regime has reportedly conducted strikes against two natural gas installations in southern Iran, escalating the war to a new level.
On Saturday evening local time, one small Israeli drone hit a section of the South Pars Gas Condensate Field, causing an explosion and a fire.
South Pars is a mainly offshore facility but has a number of onshore sections as well. In the Saturday Israeli strike, an onshore section of the field in its Phase 14 was targeted.
Gas production was briefly halted at the site as a result of the attack, but according to local reports, the fire was quickly extinguished and did not spread to other areas.
Another small Israeli drone attacked Fajr-e Jam natural gas processing field, in eastern Bushehr Province.
The Israeli regime began strikes inside Iranian territory overnight on Friday. Air defense systems and nuclear energy sites were targeted in a first wave of strikes. Attacks also targeted top Iranian military officials.
Shortly afterwards, Iran began punitive strikes deep inside Israel, hitting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Iranian officials have said the mission will continue as long as necessary.
The Army penetrated the Zionist territories with suicide drones named Arash.
Israeli media reported the launch of a fifth wave of Iranian missile strikes against locations across the occupied territories, including positions in Tiberias, occupied Golan, and Lower Galilee.
The reactions come as the Israeli regime waged a series of military strikes in and near the Iranian capital, Tehran, as well as other Iranian cities overnight on Friday. In a major escalation, the Tel Aviv regime also targeted residential buildings in and near Tehran.
The Israeli military also carried out targeted strikes against Iran’s top military brass. Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri and Chief Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami were among the senior military officials assassinated in Tehran.
