Israel vows Tehran will 'pay price' after deadly missile strikes on Tel Aviv, Haifa

Iranian missile attacks on Tel Aviv and Haifa before dawn Monday killed multiple civilians and left dozens more injured, as tensions between Israel and Iran escalated into open warfare. Israel’s defense minister initially warned that residents of Tehran would “pay the price and soon,” though Israeli officials later clarified there was no intention to deliberately target civilians. Iran’s overnight barrage damaged several residential buildings in Tel Aviv, including one located just a few hundred metres from the U.S. Embassy branch. Fires also broke out at a power station near Haifa port. Israel’s national emergency services said at least 23 civilians have been killed since Friday, and more than 100 injured in Iran’s retaliatory attacks. The Israeli military said it had destroyed a third of Iran’s surface-to-surface missile launchers and continued to target Revolutionary Guard command centres in overnight strikes. Iran’s health ministry claims at least 220 people have been killed in Israel’s strikes since Friday, the majority of them civilians. Israel launched its initial wave of attacks targeting Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile infrastructure. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed its latest strikes used a new method that caused Israeli missile defence systems to mistakenly intercept one another—though no such incidents were confirmed by Israel. In Tehran, flames were seen near military sites as Israel’s campaign—dubbed Operation Rising Lion—intensified. Israel has pledged to escalate further in coming days. Meanwhile, Iran’s parliament announced it was drafting legislation to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Though Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful, it warned of “opening the gates of hell” if Israeli aggression continues. U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated that Iran could end the war by agreeing to new restrictions on its nuclear programme. He has denied U.S. involvement in Israel’s operations but continues to offer full support. Israel, widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, is the only Middle Eastern nation not to sign the NPT, and maintains a policy of ambiguity regarding its arsenal.