Missiles Rain Down As Iran Escalates Operation True Promise III; Chaos Grips Israel Amid Cyber Sabotage, Missile Barrage

Tehran/Jerusalem/New Delhi: Iran intensified its military retaliation against Israel with a fresh and expanded wave of attacks under Operation True Promise III, unleashing a massive fusillade of ballistic missiles and drones late Monday that struck deep into occupied territories.

Launched under the codename ‘Ya Ali ibn Abi Talib’, the latest phase of the Iranian operation was reportedly the ninth and most extensive so far. Sirens wailed across northern, central and southern regions of Israel as dozens of incoming projectiles lit up the skies.

The attack came just hours after Israeli airstrikes targeted the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) in northern Iran. Widely condemned in Tehran, the strike was blamed for more deaths of civilians and triggered the broadened response from Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

According to reports, this phase of Iran’s operation is expected to last longer and inflict deeper damage than earlier stages, which began Friday in response to what Iran describes as a coordinated and unprovoked Israeli military assault.

In scenes captured by cellphone footage inside Israeli territories, large numbers of Iranian missiles are seen bypassing Israeli air defenses and hitting ground targets. One clip shows an Israeli interceptor missile veering off course and falling back down before any Iranian projectile had reached Tel Aviv.

Additional reports say that the highly sophisticated Iron Dome defense system experienced a major malfunction, possibly due to a cyber breach. According to Israeli media, the system misfired and launched interceptors at the wrong locations or into empty air, with some Israeli projectiles landing on Israeli-controlled zones.

Compounding the panic, Israel’s National Cyber Directorate confirmed that a military unit responsible for issuing civil defense alerts was hacked. Citizens reportedly received spoofed text messages instructing them not to enter public shelters, causing confusion during one of the most intense nights of missile fire in recent history.

A spokesperson for the IRGC confirmed that this new wave is a hybrid offensive, combining drone swarms and long-range ballistic missiles. The operation continued without pause until dawn. Over the last 72 hours, according to the IRGC, its aerospace division has targeted 545 Israeli military and strategic locations across Israel.

Citizens have reportedly been barred from posting videos or images of the attacks online. Israeli authorities have disabled traffic surveillance cameras, while unverified images on social media show widespread fear, with residents sheltering underground for the fourth day in a row.

On Sunday, Iranian officials issued a direct warning to civilians in Tel Aviv. Colonel Reza Sayyad, representing Iran’s Armed Forces Communications Center, urged them to evacuate immediately, stating that staying behind would place their lives in grave danger as Iran proceeds with its retaliation.

The Iranian government has publicly named its fallen high-ranking military officials and nuclear scientists who were killed during the initial Israeli strikes on June 13. They include Major General Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces, IRGC Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, IRGC aerospace head, General Gholam Ali Rashid, senior IRGC commander, Brigadier General Mohammad Kazemi, head of IRGC intelligence, noted nuclear scientists Dr. Fereydoon Abbasi, Dr. Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi and Dr. Abdolhamid Minoucher.

Supreme Leader's Warnings

Prior to the launch of the first retaliatory wave, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei warned of dire consequences for Israel. He accused the Israeli regime of committing a “grave error” by targeting civilian infrastructure and military personnel on Iranian soil.

He also announced the appointment of new military commanders on June 13, hours after the assassination of key figures and declared that Iran would deliver a harsh response that would “ruin the aggressor”.

Following his statement, Iran launched missiles and drones deep into Israeli territory, striking Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa. The resulting fear and chaos have led to near-total shutdowns in public life, with millions sheltering underground.

Iranian authorities have confirmed that their forces will continue the operation “as long as necessary”. Military sources in Tehran describe the ongoing wave of missile and drone attacks as part of an extended campaign aimed at dismantling Israeli military capabilities and delivering a “crushing” response to earlier aggression.

No ceasefire has been proposed publicly, and with both missile fire and cyber warfare escalating in tandem, the conflict now risks engulfing the region further.