Iran Launches Missile Strikes on Tel Aviv and Haifa as Israel Conflict Escalates into Fourth Day

In Tehran, the atmosphere was tense but defiant. Iranian officials claimed their strikes were calibrated to avoid civilian casualties, emphasizing that the message was one of deterrence rather than destruction. Regional allies of Iran, including militias in Iraq and Syria, praised the attack, promising solidarity and hinting at possible coordinated moves. Across parts of the Arab world, reactions were mixed: for some, Iranian defiance of Israel was cause for celebration, for others, the specter of regional war was a source of dread. In the Gulf States and Turkey, emergency meetings were called to assess the risk should the conflict spill across more borders.