Israel intensified its air campaign against Iran on Tuesday, striking bridges, railways, petrochemical facilities, and military sites across the country as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran entered its 39th day. The latest wave of attacks came hours before a deadline set by President Donald Trump threatening to destroy Iranian power plants and bridges if Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
The Israeli Air Force bombed around 10 major rail sections and bridges across Iran on Tuesday, aiming to disrupt the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' ability to transport weapons, according to security officials cited by the Times of Israel. Ahead of the strikes, the IDF warned Iranian civilians to stay away from trains and railway tracks for a 12-hour period. Separately, the IDF struck a petrochemical compound in Shiraz that it described as one of the last remaining facilities producing nitric acid, a material used in explosives and ballistic missile components.
The Shiraz strike followed major attacks earlier this week on Iran's two largest petrochemical complexes. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that strikes on facilities in Asaluyeh and Mahshahr had rendered roughly 85 percent of Iran's petrochemical export capacity inoperable, calling it "a severe economic blow amounting to tens of billions of dollars". The IDF also confirmed it struck a ballistic missile array site in northwestern Iran.
In a large-scale operation overnight Sunday into Monday, dozens of Israeli jets struck three airports in Tehran — Bahram, Mehrabad, and Azmayesh — destroying what the military described as "dozens" of aircraft and helicopters belonging to the Iranian Air Force and the IRGC. Mehrabad serves as a key hub for the IRGC's Quds Force, which supplies regional proxy groups.
The IDF also announced on Tuesday that it had destroyed more than 130 Iranian air defense systems in precise, intelligence-guided strikes, releasing missile-camera footage showing weapons hitting their targets. The military said the campaign was designed to maintain Israeli air superiority over Iranian airspace.
The strikes unfolded against the backdrop of Trump's escalating rhetoric. "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again," he wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday morning, warning of consequences if Iran failed to meet his demands. Vice President JD Vance, speaking from Hungary, said the U.S. had "tools in our toolkit that we so far haven't decided to use".
Iran responded with missile launches toward central Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, leading to the closure of the King Fahd Causeway connecting Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Saudi authorities reported damage to an energy facility from intercepted missile debris, and the United Arab Emirates confirmed its air defense systems engaged incoming threats.
Airstrikes Target Transport, Energy, and Military Sites
The Israeli Air Force bombed around 10 major rail sections and bridges across Iran on Tuesday, aiming to disrupt the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' ability to transport weapons, according to security officials cited by the Times of Israel. Ahead of the strikes, the IDF warned Iranian civilians to stay away from trains and railway tracks for a 12-hour period. Separately, the IDF struck a petrochemical compound in Shiraz that it described as one of the last remaining facilities producing nitric acid, a material used in explosives and ballistic missile components.
The Shiraz strike followed major attacks earlier this week on Iran's two largest petrochemical complexes. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that strikes on facilities in Asaluyeh and Mahshahr had rendered roughly 85 percent of Iran's petrochemical export capacity inoperable, calling it "a severe economic blow amounting to tens of billions of dollars". The IDF also confirmed it struck a ballistic missile array site in northwestern Iran.
Air Bases and Defense Networks Dismantled
In a large-scale operation overnight Sunday into Monday, dozens of Israeli jets struck three airports in Tehran — Bahram, Mehrabad, and Azmayesh — destroying what the military described as "dozens" of aircraft and helicopters belonging to the Iranian Air Force and the IRGC. Mehrabad serves as a key hub for the IRGC's Quds Force, which supplies regional proxy groups.
The IDF also announced on Tuesday that it had destroyed more than 130 Iranian air defense systems in precise, intelligence-guided strikes, releasing missile-camera footage showing weapons hitting their targets. The military said the campaign was designed to maintain Israeli air superiority over Iranian airspace.
Trump's Ultimatum and Regional Fallout
The strikes unfolded against the backdrop of Trump's escalating rhetoric. "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again," he wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday morning, warning of consequences if Iran failed to meet his demands. Vice President JD Vance, speaking from Hungary, said the U.S. had "tools in our toolkit that we so far haven't decided to use".
Iran responded with missile launches toward central Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, leading to the closure of the King Fahd Causeway connecting Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Saudi authorities reported damage to an energy facility from intercepted missile debris, and the United Arab Emirates confirmed its air defense systems engaged incoming threats.