War enters fifth day, Israel and Iran continue attacks

DUBAI — The U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran entered its fifth day, with little sign of the hostilities easing so far Wednesday.

The Israeli military also announced early Wednesday morning that it had launched a “wide-ranging attack” on Iran, while U.S. Central Command commander Brad Cooper said Tuesday night that the U.S. military is conducting “24/7 strikes against Iran from the ocean floor to space to cyberspace.”

Air raid sirens sounded across Israel and people rushed to shelters as missiles incoming from Iran caused loud explosions in the attempted interception. Multiple locations across Iran have been attacked, and Tehran is carrying out retaliatory attacks across the region.

Israel issued an alert early Wednesday, telling residents to head to shelters as missiles were fired from Iran and its defense systems were working to “thwart the threat.”

Evacuation orders extended to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and other parts of the country. Israel’s emergency medical service, Magen David Adom, said it had received no reports of casualties.

“We heard a very loud explosion from where we are in Ramallah. It could have been an interception,” Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim said, adding that it appeared to be a widespread salvo, complicating Israel’s air defense efforts.

Israeli media said fragments from an interceptor projectile fell in the area of ​​Beit Shemesh, a city near west Jerusalem, where nine Israelis were killed two days earlier.

The Israeli military had reported missile launches from Iran several hours earlier.

Tehran continues to launch retaliatory missile and drone strikes against Israel and the entire Gulf region as US President Donald Trump claims the conflict could last a month.

The Saudi Ministry of Defense also announced that it intercepted and destroyed two cruise missiles over Khalj province.

Meanwhile, Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense announced that its military intercepted and destroyed several “hostile air targets” that entered the country’s airspace early this morning.

Explosions rang out in Tehran on Wednesday as the Israeli military said it carried out a series of attacks across Iran’s capital targeting its troops.
They announced that they had attacked a building affiliated with the Basij, an all-volunteer force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

The Israeli military also said it had attacked a building associated with Iran’s Internal Security Command, which has suppressed demonstrations in the past.

The Iranian Red Crescent said at least 787 people were killed across Iran in the joint US-Israeli attack. — Agency