Tehran came under renewed attack Monday as Israel launched a fresh wave of strikes, even as former U.S. President Donald Trump signaled a pause in potential American military action against Iranian energy infrastructure. The developments follow days of heightened tensions and come amid reports of ongoing, though unconfirmed, discussions between Washington and Tehran.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated it would continue operations in accordance with government directives, despite Trump’s announcement that he had instructed the Department of Defense to postpone strikes on Iranian power plants for five days. This pause is contingent on the “success of the ongoing meetings and discussions,” Trump wrote on social media. Approximately 40 minutes after Trump’s statement, the IDF announced on X, formerly Twitter, that it had “just begun another wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime across Tehran.”
IDF Focuses on Iranian Military Sites
The IDF indicated that energy infrastructure would be spared in its current operations, suggesting a potential alignment with Washington’s decision to temporarily refrain from targeting Iranian power plants and related sites. An IDF official, speaking to the Guardian, clarified that the military is operating under the direction of Israel’s political leadership and will continue strikes until otherwise instructed.
Monday’s strikes targeted a series of military bases and weapons sites, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) air defense and ground forces headquarters, a Quds Force base and intelligence site, and a defense ministry missile production facility, according to a statement released on Telegram by the Israeli military. The Guardian could not independently verify these claims.
Casualty Reports and Escalating Conflict
Reports from Tehran indicate the scale of the explosions was “unprecedented,” according to Al Jazeera Arabic’s correspondent in the Iranian capital. At least six people were killed in strikes on homes in Tabriz city, according to The Hindu. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported at least 206 attacks across 15 Iranian provinces in the last 24 hours, resulting in at least four casualties. Approximately 15% of casualties to date are estimated to be under the age of 18, with a child killed Monday.
Estimates of total fatalities in Iran since the start of the conflict vary, exceeding 1,500, with some rights groups reporting as high as 3,230 as of March 21.
The IDF claims to have destroyed or rendered inoperable approximately 330 of Iran’s estimated 470 ballistic missile launchers, with missile fire on Israel decreasing to around 10 projectiles per day, down from roughly 90 at the conflict’s outset.
Regional Implications and Lebanon
Meanwhile, Israel continues its military campaign in Lebanon, recently striking a militant linked to Iran’s Quds Force in Beirut, resulting in one fatality, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Israeli forces have also positioned themselves in the southern Lebanese village of Aita al-Chaab. Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has called for the annexation of areas in southern Lebanon, advocating for Israel to “apply sovereignty” over areas under its control.
The situation remains highly volatile. The coming days will be critical as the five-day pause in potential U.S. Strikes unfolds and the outcome of ongoing discussions between Washington and Tehran becomes clearer.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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