#israeli-airstrikes

#israeli-airstrikes

While I understand the tactical necessity of taking them out, I'm also filled with sadness at their demise. The F-14 defined my military career.

Clouds of smoke had shrouded the metropolis of 10 million, toxic rain blended with oil poured down from the sky, and the sun remained invisible through noon on the morning of March 8. Hours earlier, Israel had launched airstrikes on 30 oil facilities in Tehran and nearby regions, causing explosions that killed six people in the city of Karaj.

For Batoul Hamdan and her two children, seven-month-old Fatima and Jihad, three, Monday's iftar, the evening meal that breaks the daily fast during Ramadan, was special. For a week, they had eaten to the sounds of bombs in their home in Arab Salim. Hamdan eventually decided to leave for Al-Nimiriya, the sleepy town where she had grown up. Surrounded by her parents and siblings in the family home, she hoped they could finally enjoy the festive mood of Ramadan.

The images, collected on Monday by the US spatial intelligence firm Vantor and obtained by Business Insider, show visible wreckage of at least two F-14 Tomcats on the apron at the 8th Tactical Air Base in Isfahan, a city in central Iran. The base is a hub for the Iranian Air Force's fleet of vintage F-14s.

"It is true that the circulated video shows only the courtyard. However, the damage extended to the museum's main hall, where a number of artefacts and photographs are on display, as well as to the museum's doors, windows, and storage rooms," Amida Sholan, an archaeologist and professor at Sanaa University, tells The Art Newspaper. Sholan, who was outside Yemen when the attack occurred, says she has not yet been able to confirm with colleagues whether any artefacts were damaged.

The heavy traffic congestion in Tehran makes evacuation implausible; the capital's population of 10 million presents significant challenges for a safe and swift departure.

The US President has issued a stark warning to Iran, stating that additional planned attacks will be even more brutal if a deal is not reached.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed the death of Mohammed Sinwar, Hamas's de facto leader, during airstrikes on the European Hospital in Khan Younis.