How the ‘most terrifying night' of Israel's war on Iran unfolded

Telegraph

9 hours ago

Kamran pulled over on the motorway as he drove towards Tehran with his wife and two children.
They were finally returning after days of air strikes pumelled their home city.
But their hopes were dashed as news reached them that Donald Trump's ceasefire was already crumbling.
'We packed up at my grandmother's house when we heard the news of the ceasefire and started driving around 5am,' Kamran told The Telegraph.
'We're no longer sure whether to go back or turn around and head north again.'
Even before Israel broke the ceasefire on Tuesday morning, pockets of Tehran were smouldering.
Residents of the Iranian capital of 10 million people described how bombs rained down all night before the deadline the US president set for the truce.
Israeli warplanes struck at least 12 locations in what witnesses described as the most terrifying night of the war.
The Telegraph gathered a detailed account of the night's events by speaking to civilians on the messaging apps still permitted by the regime. Journalists are restricted from operating freely in Iran.
The attacks began at 2.58am and continued for hours, with explosions rocking central districts and north eastern suburbs as weakened air defence systems activated throughout the night.
At about 3am, residents reported old Soviet air defence systems opening up again as multiple explosions were heard in central and north eastern Tehran.
'My building in Ekbatan was constantly shaking,' said Shahla. 'I was shaking the whole night. I must have heard over 100 explosions, big ones.
'I was hugging my daughter, she kept waking up terrified.'
Narges, a university student, said the bombs could be heard 'from every direction'.
'They were hitting us in such a way that fire was everywhere – the sky was orange throughout the night,' she added.
'It was so intense and close that I couldn't catch my breath.'
Elsewhere in the city, residents described windows shattering and buildings shaking with each impact as the strikes continued until dawn.
Previous air strikes over the last week or so had closed in on the city centre, starting on air defence units and spreading to state TV newsrooms, government buildings and even the notorious Evin prison, where dissidents silenced by the regime are locked up.
It remains unclear how many people were killed in the latest strikes. The war has gone largely under-reported inside Iran thanks to censorship and the regime's tight control on the media.
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency based in the United States, Israeli strikes had killed at least 387 civilians but that was before Monday night's attacks.
'Banking systems, transportation, communications, and healthcare services have been disrupted,' it reported.
'Citizens are facing shortages of goods, long queues, rationing, and widespread anxiety.'
Despite the bombings, and some calls for regime change, the clerics who lead Iran have faced limited dissent. There has been some evidence that citizens have rallied around the flag to a degree.
Pro-regime supporters have also come out on the streets to celebrate Iranian attacks on a US military base in Qatar and Israel, although it remains unclear whether the gatherings were encouraged or supported by the regime.
The strikes on Tuesday morning extended beyond Tehran's city limits to Karaj where residents reported that buildings had been targeted.
Families who had followed distant conflicts through news reports suddenly found themselves potential targets in an active war zone.
Tehran province officials said security remained under control despite the attacks.
'No halt has been made in identifying, arresting and chasing unauthorised nationals,' the capital's governor said as bombs were falling. 'Tehran is under security supervision.'
Then, suddenly, the strikes stopped.
'Until just an hour ago, the sounds of explosions and firing did not stop,' activist Hossein Ronaghi said in the morning.
'Now the street sweepers are busy cleaning, and the crows and sparrows are both busy singing. Tehran is still beautiful.'
The Islamic Republic claimed it had forced Israel into a ceasefire after 12 days of heavy fighting.
State television broadcast a statement claiming the Islamic Republic's 'successful resistance' had halted attacks.
Regime officials said the war launched by Israel had failed in its goals, and had only galvanised 'unprecedented national unity' in Iran.
'The noble Iranian nation imposed a ceasefire on the enemy' and demonstrated the 'exemplary solidarity of our dear people in defending the homeland', state television reported.
By evening, no new bombings were reported. The fragile ceasefire appeared to hold after both sides blamed each other for violations.