US, Israel intensify strikes on Iran’s residential areas, schools, cultural centers

US and Israeli forces have unleashed a wave of terrorist airstrikes and missile attacks across Iran, targeting residential areas and civilian infrastructure, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries.

Iranian authorities confirmed that several residential areas in the northeastern city of Tabriz, located in East Azarbaijan Province, were struck by missiles in the early hours of Wednesday.

The attacks specifically hit neighborhoods where the city’s railroad workers lived, causing widespread destruction and leaving many residents trapped under the rubble.

The attack came a day after six civilians were killed and nine others were wounded in the Shahid Mofatteh residential area, according to a statement from Tabriz’s crisis response authorities.

The blast, which tore through the homes of innocent families, left the area in ruins, with debris scattered across the streets.

First responders and the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) have been on the ground, working to evacuate survivors and clear the rubble from destroyed buildings, but the scale of devastation remains overwhelming.

A video of a young girl named Helma being rescued by rescue teams has been published on the Instagram channel of the Red Crescent and has been widely shared on social media.

Iranian engineering professor and his two children martyred in Israeli-US aggression

Dr. Saeed Shamghadri, an associate professor at Iran University of Science and Technology, was martyred in an Israeli-American attack along with two children.

On Tuesday, Iran's armed forces dedicated the 79th wave of “Operation True Promise 4" to the 18-month-old child and her martyred family, targeting US and Israeli military sites, including satellite stations providing services to the Israeli army, as well as key US airbases.

The strikes were not confined to Tabriz. Throughout the day, reports emerged of additional attacks across various regions of Iran, including Yazd and Tehran.

The eastern districts of Tehran saw bombings that shattered windows and caused extensive damage to nearby homes.

In a tragic incident, Dina Sadeghi, a 10-year-old girl in Yazd, was killed due to shock and trauma caused by the blast near her home.

The explosion, which occurred in the early morning hours, also caused significant psychological trauma among survivors, particularly children who were left terrified by the constant bombardment.

Iran’s embassy in Austria described the airstrikes as part of an ongoing Israeli-US campaign of aggression against Iran.

The embassy’s post on X emphasized that the attacks targeted vital civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, and residential areas, causing widespread destruction.

It pointed to the destruction of civilian maritime routes in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping lane, which has now become "extremely hazardous for navigation" due to the escalation of hostilities.

The attacks have also caused immense damage to Iran's cultural and educational infrastructure.

The Vela Cultural Center in Rey, a city near Tehran, was severely damaged when US-Israeli forces launched multiple missile strikes on the building late Tuesday.

The center, which had been a cultural and educational hub for the community, was reduced to rubble, and the strike caused collateral damage to nearby residential areas.

A taxi parked near the center was buried under debris, while several nearby homes sustained heavy damage. In total, four people were killed, and six others were injured, as the terrorist bombing left the neighborhood in disarray.

In a statement on social media, Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesman for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highlighted the absurdity of the US-Israeli aggression, pointing out that even the home of renowned Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, a winner of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d'Or, was not spared.

“Even the home of Abbas Kiarostami, the famous Iranian director who won the Golden Palm at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival for his film ‘Taste of Cherry,’ was not protected from the bombs of US-Israeli terrorists. Was his house also considered a ‘threat’ to America?”

The destruction has extended to schools, with over 640 educational facilities reported damaged or destroyed.

According to Iranian officials, 557 schools, 42 administrative offices, and 45 cultural and sports facilities have been affected.

The toll on the Iranian educational population has been staggering: as of Tuesday, 243 people, including 192 students and 51 teachers, had been confirmed martyred. An additional 184 people have been wounded, including 164 students and 20 teachers.

One of the most devastating incidents occurred in Minab city, located in southern Iran, where an elementary school was struck by a missile on the first day of the aggression.

Over 170 students and teachers were killed, with many more injured. The attack, aimed at a civilian facility, highlighted the indiscriminate nature of the terrorist campaign waged by US and Israeli forces, showing no regard for the safety or lives of children.

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