{"id":7175,"date":"2026-03-18T11:09:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T11:09:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jubaglobal.com\/?p=7175"},"modified":"2026-03-18T11:09:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T11:09:14","slug":"iran-launches-missile-and-drone-attacks-on-tel-aviv-in-revenge-for-killing-of-security-chief-ali-larijani","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/iran-launches-missile-and-drone-attacks-on-tel-aviv-in-revenge-for-killing-of-security-chief-ali-larijani\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran Launches Missile and Drone Attacks on Tel Aviv in Revenge for Killing of Security Chief Ali Larijani"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By: Juba Global News Network | JubaGlobal.com<\/strong>
March 18, 2026<\/em> \u2014 Tel Aviv, Israel \/ Tehran, Iran<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing US-Israel war against Iran, Tehran unleashed a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones targeting central Israel\u2014including the metropolitan area of Tel Aviv\u2014overnight into early Wednesday. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) explicitly described the assault as \u201crevenge for the blood of martyr Dr. Ali Larijani,\u201d Iran\u2019s powerful national security chief, who was confirmed killed in an Israeli airstrike less than 24 hours earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The strikes, which Iran\u2019s state television labeled as a \u201cdecisive response,\u201d involved advanced Khorramshahr-4 and Qadr missiles equipped with multiple warheads, including cluster munitions designed to saturate defenses and inflict widespread area damage. Israeli air defenses, including the Iron Dome and Arrow systems, intercepted many projectiles, but several penetrated, causing explosions across central Israel. At least two people\u2014an elderly couple\u2014were killed in Ramat Gan, a suburb adjacent to Tel Aviv, with shrapnel injuries reported in surrounding areas. Property damage was significant: a Tel Aviv train station sustained hits disrupting rail services, fires erupted in residential zones, and videos from the scene showed rocket trails lighting up the night sky over Netanya and other coastal cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Israel\u2019s Magen David Adom emergency service confirmed the fatalities from severe shrapnel wounds, while additional reports noted dozens injured and widespread panic as sirens blared across the region. Eyewitness accounts described cluster bomblets scattering over neighborhoods, creating secondary explosions and forcing residents into shelters for hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The attack comes amid a cascade of high-profile Israeli assassinations targeting Iran\u2019s leadership. On Tuesday, Israel announced it had eliminated Ali Larijani\u2014secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and widely regarded as Iran\u2019s de facto leader since the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on the opening day of the conflict on February 28. Larijani, a veteran politician and former parliament speaker known for his pragmatic streak in past nuclear negotiations, was struck in a precision airstrike alongside his son, an aide, and Basij paramilitary commander Gholamreza Soleimani. Iran confirmed the deaths hours later, with state media hailing Larijani as a \u201cmartyr in the trench of service.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The IRGC statement read on Iranian television declared the missile salvo had struck over 100 military and security targets in Israel\u2019s heartland, claiming many evaded interception. \u201cThis is exact revenge for the martyrs Larijani and Soleimani,\u201d the statement said, vowing further operations if provocations continued. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking to international outlets, insisted the regime\u2019s structure remained intact and accused the United States of bearing ultimate responsibility for the regional conflagration now in its third week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a separate but related development overnight, Israeli forces claimed to have targeted\u2014and possibly killed\u2014Iran\u2019s Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib in an airstrike on Tehran. Defense Minister Israel Katz promised \u201cmore surprises\u201d in the campaign to dismantle Iran\u2019s command apparatus, though confirmation of Khatib\u2019s fate remained pending from Iranian sources. This would mark the third major leadership strike in as many days, further decapitating Tehran\u2019s security apparatus amid unrelenting pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The retaliation triggered immediate regional ripple effects. Gulf states\u2014Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia\u2014activated defenses to intercept Iranian drones and missiles headed toward or overflying their territories, underscoring the conflict\u2019s spillover. Oil markets reacted sharply, with prices climbing on fears of broader disruptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s office condemned the attack as \u201cbarbaric\u201d and vowed a forceful response. Sirens continued intermittently into the morning, with civil defense authorities urging residents to remain vigilant. The strikes disrupted daily life in Tel Aviv: schools closed, public transport halted in affected zones, and emergency crews combed debris for survivors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysts warn this tit-for-tat cycle\u2014assassinations met with missile barrages\u2014risks spiraling into even deadlier exchanges. Larijani\u2019s death removes a potential moderate voice who might have facilitated back-channel de-escalation, leaving hardliners in Tehran with greater sway. Meanwhile, Israel\u2019s strategy of leadership targeting aims to weaken Iran\u2019s ability to coordinate proxy forces like Hezbollah, which has intensified operations in Lebanon in solidarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As funerals for Larijani and Soleimani prepare in Tehran, and smoke still lingers over Ramat Gan, the war shows no signs of abating. With U.S. involvement deepening\u2014including recent bunker-buster strikes on Iranian missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz\u2014and allies divided, the path to any ceasefire appears increasingly remote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juba Global News Network is monitoring developments from both sides of the conflict and will provide updates as the situation evolves. Stay informed at JubaGlobal.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reporting contributed by correspondents in Tel Aviv, Tehran, and regional security analysts. Visual verification from multiple international sources and eyewitness footage.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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