On June 16, 2025, Iran unleashed a fresh wave of missile strikes on Israel, killing at least eight people and wounding dozens, as the conflict between the two nations intensified.

The attacks, targeting central Israel, came in retaliation for Israel’s “Operation Rising Lion,” a series of strikes on Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure that began June 13.

As sirens blared across Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the human toll—including a six-day-old baby pulled from rubble—has deepened fears of a wider war, with both sides trading threats and strikes.

“We are back in the shelters in Tel Aviv. This looks like it is the third wave of attack from Iran,” Caitlyn Jenner, a U.S. Olympic gold medalist trapped in Israel, posted on X during the barrage.

Israel’s Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency service reported four elderly victims, two men and two women in their 70s, among the dead, with over 100 others evacuated to hospitals.

“Large MDA forces are scanning the area to locate any additional casualties,” an MDA spokesperson said, as rescuers worked through charred buildings in Petah Tikva, where missiles struck residential areas.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard launched about 100 missiles, vowing “more forceful, severe, precise, and destructive” strikes if Israel continued its offensive.

“The gates of hell will open to the child-killing regime,” Major General Mohammad Pakpour, the Guard’s new commander, declared on state TV after his predecessor’s death in Israeli strikes.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had offered a pause if Israel halted, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected calls for restraint.

“Israel’s fight is not with you,” he told Iranians in a video, urging them to resist their regime.

Israel’s response was swift, with fighter jets hitting 10 Quds Force command centers in Tehran.

“We continue to hunt down threats and strike targets deep within the Iranian regime,” IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on X.

The conflict, which has killed 24 Israelis and over 400 Iranians, including 197 civilians per Human Rights Activists, shows no signs of easing.

“If Khamenei continues to fire missiles at Israel’s home front, Tehran will burn,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned.

The U.S., while not involved in Israel’s initial strikes, faced minor damage to its Tel Aviv embassy branch from a nearby missile.

“There were no injuries to U.S. personnel,” Ambassador Mike Huckabee said on X.

President Donald Trump, advocating a hands-off approach, said, “Israel and Iran have to fight it out, but I believe a deal is possible.”

As both nations brace for more violence, the human cost mounts.

“You can see that people have a sense of precaution this weekend,” Israeli-Canadian Jordan Falkenstein told Reuters in Tel Aviv, describing life under constant sirens.

With Iran’s nuclear ambitions and Israel’s resolve clashing, the region teeters on the edge of catastrophe, leaving civilians on both sides to bear the brunt.

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