Iran Vows Self-Defense as Missile Strikes and Israeli Airstrikes Intensify

Earlier in a post on X, Araghchi had said, "We've had two decades to study defeats of the U.S. military to our immediate east and west. We've incorporated lessons accordingly. Bombings in our capital have no impact on our ability to conduct war. Decentralised Mosaic Defence enables us to decide when, and how the war will end."

In a statement the Iranian government further said, "We have never initiated any war and have not attacked any neighbouring country. However, under the United Nations Charter, self-defence is our inherent right. Iran's response is strictly directed at bases from which actions have been carried out against our territory"

Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced the execution of the 16th wave of Operation True Promise 4 against the US-Israel forces in the region after they struck Iran.

In a statement IRGC claimed that it had struck the "heart and the northern parts of the occupied territories" with "effective" missile and drone operations conducted by its Aerospace Division. It cited some of the targets as the general staff of the Israeli regime's army and its ministry of war in Hakiriya, the strategic infrastructures lying in Bnei Brak, military targets stationed in Beit Hakfa, northeast of Tel Aviv, and the military centre in Western Galilee.

IRGC claimed that its intelligence sources have reported over 680 'enemy' casualties by the fourth day of the Iranian counter attack. The statement claimed "operational weakness, technical gaps, and the reduced computational capability in the multi-layer defence systems of the occupied territories" as the reasons contributing to "opening up of air corridors for the penetration, passage, and impact of Iranian projectiles."

Meanwhile, the Israeli Defence forces said the Israeli Air Force had carried out a new wave of strikes in Tehran targeting dozens of Iranian regime command centres, including facilities used by the Basij and internal security forces.

New footage published by the IDF showed an airstrike against a group of Iranian soldiers operating an Air Defence System, and the targeting of a Russian-made Mi-17 helicopter used by the Iranian army. "The Air Force continues to strike the aerial capabilities of the Iranian regime," the IDF said in its post on X.

Israeli airstrikes in Tehran on Tuesday hit dozens of command centres of Iran's Basij paramilitary force and internal security forces, the military says.

"The targeted command centres were used by the Iranian regime to maintain control throughout Iran and maintain the regime's situational assessments," the IDF said.

The IDF said it had struck sites belonging to the Iranian army's logistics division, missile launchers and air defence systems.

- ANI