Israel pounds Quds Force Headquarters in Tehran as conflict intensifies

Tel Aviv: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Monday announced that Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck Quds Force command centres in Tehran, intensifying the already deadly confrontation between Israel and Iran.

The attacks, the IDF said, were carried out using “precise intelligence” and targeted facilities involved in orchestrating terrorist activities against Israel.

“The Air Force attacked Quds Force headquarters in Tehran. Air Force fighter jets attacked the headquarters of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards and the Iranian army, under precise intelligence guidance from the Intelligence Department,” the IDF posted on X.

“In these headquarters, Quds operatives planned terrorist acts against Israel through the Iranian regime’s branches in the Middle East,” the post added.

An illustrative graphic released by the Israeli military indicated that 10 sites were hit in the operation.

The Quds Force is an elite unit within Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), which Israel claims is responsible for foreign military operations and known for its support of proxy groups like Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

Meanwhile, Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles into central Israel, killing at least four people and wounding dozens more.

The Magen David Adom emergency service said it transported 87 people to medical facilities. Among the wounded were a woman with severe facial injuries and five individuals in moderate condition. The remaining 81 sustained minor injuries.

On the Iranian side, the civilian toll continued to climb. After four consecutive nights of Israeli airstrikes, Iran’s Health Ministry confirmed that at least 230 people had been killed, with roughly 90 per cent of the casualties being civilians.

Despite rising death tolls, Iran has declined ceasefire negotiations while under active Israeli bombardment.

Tehran reportedly told mediators Qatar and Oman that any serious dialogue could only begin after Iran concludes its full-scale military response to the Israeli pre-emptive attacks.

Israel has claimed that its strikes have not only hit high-profile military targets but also dealt significant damage to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

According to Israeli officials, numerous top military commanders and atomic scientists were killed in the targeted strikes.

Overnight, the Israeli military struck more than 80 targets in Tehran. The operation, which initially focused on nuclear and military facilities, expanded to include oil infrastructure and government buildings.

On Sunday, Israeli forces destroyed two major fuel depots in Tehran and launched strikes in Ahvaz, located in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan.

Other key targets included the headquarters of Tehran’s police and defence ministry, as well as a defence-related facility in Isfahan.

–IANS