Residential areas in Iran were hit by airstrikes early Wednesday morning as a wave of Israeli attacks continued, while the Iranian government launched what it called its “most intense” operation of the war, targeting Israel and Gulf states.
There is a growing humanitarian crisis across the region, with the United Nations warning of toxic black rain, mass evacuations and disrupted supply chains for life-saving supplies. And the death toll continues to rise.
Here’s what you need to know on day 12.
ISRAEL ATTACKS: Israel has launched a second wave of attacks on Iran’s capital Tehran and is also attacking the Lebanese suburb of Beirut, the country’s military announced late Tuesday. Early Wednesday, the Iranian Red Crescent said a residential area in Tehran had been targeted, and an Israeli military attack in Lebanon had killed a Red Cross ambulance and killed a paramedic.
Iran steps up: Iran’s military announced late Wednesday that it had launched its “violent and toughest operation” since the start of the war, according to state media. The attacks targeted Israeli positions and US assets in the region, state media said.
Regional attacks: Gulf states are intercepting a new wave of Iranian drones and missiles early Wednesday local time. On Tuesday, a drone believed to be Iranian also struck a US diplomatic facility in Iraq near Baghdad airport, two sources told CNN. A container ship was also damaged by an object believed to be a projectile off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.
Toxic black rain: The World Health Organization warns that black rain, or contaminated rain, caused by environmental pollution can pose health risks after the strike in Iran. After attacks last week on fuel depots, including in Tehran, thick black smoke billowed into the air and mixed with precipitation in the air, creating toxic rain.
Rising death toll: Iran accuses the United States and Israel of deliberately targeting civilians, and airstrikes have killed more than 1,300 people since the start of the conflict, according to Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations. According to the United Nations children’s agency (UNICEF), more than 10 children have been killed every day in Lebanon due to Israeli airstrikes. Dozens more were killed elsewhere in the region, including by Iranian attacks. The Pentagon announced Tuesday that seven U.S. service members were killed and 140 soldiers were injured.
Mines in the Strait: The US military says it has destroyed Iranian naval vessels, including 16 minelayers, near the Strait of Hormuz. Officials earlier told CNN that the Iranian government had begun laying mines in the waterway, the world’s most important energy chokepoint, through which about a fifth of all crude oil passes.
US terms: The White House laid out demands for what “unconditional surrender” by Iran would look like, saying it was for President Donald Trump to decide personally. This includes eliminating Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal to “protect” its nuclear ambitions, he said, adding that Trump would “not rule out options” for war, including sending in U.S. ground troops.
School strike: The Pentagon will release a report on a strike on an Iranian girls’ school that killed at least 168 children, the White House announced Tuesday. According to CNN and an analysis of the evidence by experts, the U.S. military was likely involved. Video also emerged that appeared to show a US missile targeting an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval base adjacent to the school.
Iranian women’s soccer team: Seven players from the Iranian soccer team (six players and one support member) have been granted humanitarian visas in Australia after applying for asylum, Home Secretary Tony Burke confirmed on Wednesday. The remaining members of the team departed Sydney late Tuesday.
