Israel Intercepts Iranian Missiles as Regional Conflict Escalates Sharply

"Defense systems are working to intercept the threat," read the statement, adding that it alerted residents in relevant areas.

A state of high alert has been declared across Israel, with red alert sirens sounding nationwide following a fresh barrage of projectiles, underscoring a sharp escalation in the ongoing regional conflict.

As the exchange intensified, Al Jazeera reported that an Iranian official condemned the scale of the offensive against the Islamic Republic in a statement to Reuters, emphasising the humanitarian toll of the military operations.

The official stated, "Iran has faced intense attacks and the world is silent as civilians, schools and hospitals are being hit."

Amid these widening hostilities, Majed al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar's Foreign Ministry, spoke to CNN regarding the latest regional developments.

He confirmed that Qatar intercepted Iranian attacks targeting civilian infrastructure, including the international airport.

Al-Ansari stated that such attacks "could not remain unanswered." He added that "Qatar was not engaging with Iran at the moment."

The escalation has also resulted in high-profile casualties inside Iran.

Israel's army reported that two senior Iranian intelligence officials were killed during the first wave of attacks on the country on February 28.

The military statement, published on Monday, identified the victims as Sayed Yahya Hamidi and Jalal Pour Hussein.

It said Hamidi was deputy minister of intelligence for Israel affairs, claiming he "led terrorist activities targeting Jews, Western actors, and regime opponents in Iran and abroad".

The statement also claimed Hossein was head of the espionage division at Iran's Ministry of Intelligence.

"Together with them, additional senior terrorists were eliminated," it said.

Beyond personnel losses, the confrontation has extended to strategic infrastructure.

Al Jazeera noted that Reza Najafi, Iran's ambassador to the UN nuclear watchdog, alleged the country's sprawling nuclear facility at Natanz was struck during US and Israeli military operations on Sunday.

"Again they attacked Iran's peaceful, safeguarded nuclear facilities yesterday," he told reporters at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board of governors.

Asked by Reuters which facilities were hit, he replied: "Natanz."

The human toll has continued to mount.

Five Iranian soldiers have been killed in a US attack on Khorramabad city in central western Iran, Tasnim news agency has reported.

The latest wave of strikes and Iranian counter-attacks follows a full-scale conflict that erupted in the Middle East involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, after a major "military offensive" launched on February 28.

In a coordinated operation known as Operation Epic Fury/Roaring Lion, US and Israeli forces carried out large-scale air and missile strikes across Iran, targeting key military sites, nuclear-related infrastructure, missile batteries, and leadership compounds.

Al Jazeera indicated that amid mounting casualties and widespread strikes, world leaders and international bodies are pressing for urgent de-escalation to prevent a wider regional war, though the conflict shows no immediate signs of abating.

- ANI